Enduring Light
by Falcon's Hyperdrive
Summary: Enduring is all Hikari's ever tried to do. She stays out of the spotlight, seemingly unimportant. Only Dumbledore knew of her origins, and only her surrogate brother knew she came here. And now, everyone else was going to find out, too. Post Deathly Hallows; AU; maybe GaaraxOC later
1. Chapter 1

**Long Summary:**

Post _Deathly Hallows _AU, Post _Naruto_ manga (possibly AU);

She had always endured, had always had to. Orphaned twice, once as a baby and once at twelve, she now spent her time not at Hogwarts wandering the southern three nations of the Hidden Countries alone, continuing what she had done with her sensei. In recent years, she'd made it a point to stop by Konoha and Suna, searching for a place to call home when she graduated. In doing so, she found a man to call uncle, and a boy to call brother. Taiki was the best thing that had ever happened to her so far, and she didn't even mean for the first encounter to turn out that way. She had always feared attachment after her sensei was killed, but she had managed to make good friends. Among them, the pranking twins of Hufflepuff, the protégés of the Weasley twins. She was finally able to bring herself to call them brothers, always avoiding the issue until her seventh year.

Her time at Hogwarts had not been easy, though she'd stayed largely in the shadows. Her first year, she was sorted into Hufflepuff due to being well-rounded, but with extreme loyalty. That summer, her sensei and adoptive mother was killed. After that, she was much more reserved.

Each year brought new pain, but eventually she did meet Taiki, and told him about the wizarding world and the death of the one man at Hogwarts who knew about her origins in the Hidden Countries, the man she had come to consider as a grandfather. Dumbledore's death was a grief she had not felt since her sensei was murdered and a good friend of hers died the summer after. Still, she returned to Great Britain the next year with papers she had cooked up, listing her mother as a witch, thereby avoiding persecution. She fought in the battle when the time came, and returned to Konoha and Suna with joy. Taiki promised to visit her if he could, for rumor was it that the Kazekage was in contact with the wizards. That September, she discovered that this was true, and that Hogwarts was beginning a _taijutsu_ class. This was to be checked up on by the Kazekage Gaara himself quite often, and Hikari found herself hard pressed to keep her countries of origin a secret. She told the twins, but only them, and they kept it quiet.

It became much harder to keep her skills and origins secret as the Kazekage took increased interest in her and the mystery surrounding her. When she finally decided to let everyone know, she knew it would be quite a shock. This year, she decided, was definitely going to be interesting.

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**Yes, there are many Harry Potter/Naruto crossovers. Yes, a few have Gaara as a main character. But no, there has not yet been one like this!**

**What makes this AU, you might wonder? Here's what. **Harry Potter: **Several of those killed in **_**Deathly Hallows**_** are alive in this. Also, Harry and Ron return to Hogwarts, while in canon, they do not. **Naruto:** I haven't read the last couple hundred chapters of Shipuuden, and only know a few things about what's going on, but this is my view of the world a few years after the Akatsuki are finally defeated. I still haven't decided what to do about Sasuke, though . . .**

**I feel I should explain the GaaraxOC in the short summery. This is kinda romance, but not really, and that won't come for a while. Also, any kissing will be brief mentions, mostly among established couples, as I don't feel comfortable writing them, especially when I myself have not kissed anyone yet. And other pairings will be ShikamaruxTemari and probably a little NarutoxHinata. It's not really important, though, but references will be made.**

**Now, then. I've talked long enough, so just one more thing. I cannot guarantee that updates will come at all often. I have school, and other stories, too. I wouldn't have even started this one, but it was just too good an idea to put aside, in my opinion. Keep an eye out on my profile for links to artwork for this story that I'll be uploading on deviantART, and let me know what you think, please! If you have any questions at all, ask away.**

**Enjoy the story!

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**-Enduring Light-**

**A Harry Potter/Naruto Crossover**

_By Falcon's Hyperdrive_

Begun 1-7-10

Finished __-__-__

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**-Chapter One-**

Sand. That was all that could be seen, stretching for miles, from one horizon to the other. Dunes rose and fell, flat plains spread out between, and gentle hills broke up the line of sight, ripples coursing through the land as a result of the wind. The sun beat down harshly, and what life there was in this parched environment hid in the shade and beneath the desert.

A hawk cried out, a messenger bird from Fire Country. It was on its way to Suna, the shinobi village of Wind. The Akatsuki threat was over, and the relations between Suna and Konoha were stronger than ever as the Leaf Village recovered from its rebuilding with the aid of their allies.

A young woman glanced up at the bird, shielding her gaze from the glare of the bright morning sky of midsummer. It was flying due southwest, right toward her destination. Smiling at this confirmation of her path, she continued on.

Sunagakure no Sato, Village Hidden in Sand, was true to its name. On the horizon, it looked like nothing more than another dune as the hills began to gently roll once more. Closer, perhaps it was a gigantic cliff of rock. Only when you were still yet closer did you begin to notice the details, such as the tall, dark corridor of the Western Gate.

She paused at the mouth of the gate, two previous experiences teaching her well. She didn't even jump at the sight of the Suna shinobi that appeared, but instead bowed politely in greeting. "My purpose is to restock supplies," she dutifully told the guard, knowing what his question was even without it being asked. "I aim to leave by nightfall, and I do not plan to stay overnight."

The ninja eyed her carefully. "Have you visited Suna before, _ryokousha_?"

"_Hai_. Twice, once a year. This is my third such visit."

"Which village and land do you hail from?"

The girl smiled bitterly. "None known, sir. However, I tend to wander the southern three countries of this continent. I can claim neither clan nor home, but I wish you and your village no ill will. I will consent to an escort if you find the need."

He paused for a moment, assessing her. Then, he nodded sharply. "That will not be necessary. Carry on."

"_Arigato gozaimasu_, shinobi-sama." She bowed shortly and stepped past him, continuing on her way as he vanished back to his post, a simple nod all the acknowledgement she needed.

The market was just how the jade-eyed brunette remembered it. The street bustled with foot traffic as shoppers rushed back and forth, and children ran squealing through what holes in the crowd they could find. Shinobi leapt from rooftop to rooftop as they moved about, the monotone color of sand everywhere. And throughout this all, the sounds of life and laughter echoed.

The fifteen-year-old came to a halt at one of the shops, the smell of fresh bread carrying gently on the afternoon breeze. As it wasn't too crowded, she made her way inside, and lost herself in her thoughts as she waited for her turn.

The past year had been very frustrating for the girl. Out in the Wizarding World, things were getting very dicey. The Ministry of Magic had steadfastly refused to believe Harry and Dumbledore-sama in the fact that Voldemort-_baka_ had returned. The "teacher" they had imposed on Hogwarts likewise refused to teach the students how to defend themselves. Thankfully, Harry, Ron, and Hermione had come up with the idea of Dumbledore's Army, a group she had immediately joined. Despite her eagerness, however, she was wary about the group being discovered, and thought their first meeting place absolutely foolish. In the end, she was right. She was able to escape capture, but others were not so fortunate. And then there was the attack on the Ministry, and the revelation to all the _orokamono_ wizards and witches that Voldemort-_baka_ really had returned.

_Poor Harry-san,_ she thought, sighing. He had lost his godfather in the attack, the girl Luna had revealed to her, and she knew how the boy must feel. She knew well the pain of loss, especially to the hands of an enemy. The Dementors would have caused a worse reaction in her than in Harry, had they ever gotten the chance to get close.

It came with living in the Shinobi Countries, she supposed, where death was a common occurrence. Her experience, she knew, would be indispensable when a battle finally arrived.

For now, however, it was time to drift and travel. Clan-less, village-less, she spent her days wandering, homeless, until it was time to return to Hogwarts. The school was the one place she knew she was welcome to return to, but after her seven years were up, and she graduated, she wasn't going to be going back there, as far as she could tell, aside from an occasional visit. These lands were where she belonged, and in the weeks spent here in the summers, she aimed to find where her loyalties lay.

_Loyalty . . ._ The Hat had pointed that out as her most prominent characteristic. More than anything else, she was loyal, if she could only find something or someone to be loyal to. Dumbledore was one, and her few friends at Hogwarts were others. In then end, though, she knew she had to find a country and a village that she felt like she belonged to. Problem was, she usually stayed largely to herself, fearful of attachment.

All the Houses had been options for her. Slytherin, the Hat claimed, because she could be cunning. Maybe that was why she was able to sneak around so well, to survive for so long. Ravenclaw, because she was intelligent. Her grades rivaled Hermione's, but part of that had to do with the fact that she buried herself in her work, escaping grief and painful memories. Gryffindor was a possibility because, somewhere in there, the Hat had detected great bravery. And half the time, she was brave. How else would she be able to carry out some of the occasional pranks she felt compelled to plan? How else would she have dared to claim friends? How else would she have lived on alone?

Now, Hufflepuff. That was the House for her. She was well-rounded, the Hat told her, which was why she might make a good fit in any of the other Houses. However, it saw that fierce loyalty in her. That, if anything, was the clincher. And so, she found a home.

"Are you going to stand there staring at the bread, or are you going to actually buy some?"

Startled, the Hufflepuff looked up into the warm brown eyes of the shopkeeper. "_H-Hai!_ I'll take the wheat loaf, please."

"Hm." The kind old woman fetched the requested item, then bagged it for her and smiled. "You're not from around here, are you?"

"_Iie_. I'm a drifter. I've visited twice before; once last year, and another the year before that."

"A yearly pilgrimage?"

The girl paused. "I suppose you could call it that. I have someplace where I go for most of the year, but I have a little more than two months on my own. I'm using that time to travel and try to find a place that feels right."

The shopkeeper accepted the money the girl offered her, and regarded the customer curiously. "Feels right? For what?"

The Hufflepuff offered a small smile. "For a place to settle down. I cannot remain a drifter forever. In fact, I'm not. It's more like a vacation. But these lands are home, and I must find a place where I belong. Thank you for the bread, and farewell."

She heard a murmured echo of her parting words as the door closed behind her, the busy streets enfolding her in their noisy embrace.

There was a tug on the package in her arms not long after, and when she looked down, she discovered it was gone. Panicked, she looked around and caught a fleeting glimpse of a small form disappearing into the crowd, a familiar object tucked under one arm.

The teenager gave chase, scowling at her inattentiveness. She should have known better than that; she could have just as easily been stabbed in the back.

The thief led her on a merry chase as she twisted through the crowd. Several times, she almost lost him. Finally, he tripped and fell, allowing her to swoop in and reclaim her purchase.

The thief, a young boy, scrambled to his feet and snatched at the bread loaf. "Give it!" he protested, determination in eyes whose color reminded her of far-off storm clouds.

She held it out of his reach, scoffing. "As if. This is mine; I payed for it."

He stopped, regarding her warily. It seemed he hadn't realized who exactly he had stolen it from. When she returned his gaze evenly, he scowled. "I need it."

"So do I."

The boy was stubborn and determined, she would give him that. Another futile attempt to snatch it out of her hands was made, and she held it high out of reach. A moment later, a gurgling noise erupted, very loudly.

The teenager snorted. "Well, if you're hungry and have no money, why didn't you say so?"

Again, the scowl. "Because no one cares. _Duh_." He glared at her and turned to go, giving up, but she caught his arm.

"I care."

"Yeah, _right_," he retorted, turning back to her. "I bet you don't know what starvation _is_."

She smiled bitterly, still gently gripping his upper arm. "Actually, I do. When you run out of money and can't access your bank account, meals get scarce." It had been that way, back before she started going to Hogwarts and her sensei moved her funds to Gringotts. Now, Diagon Alley was just a portkey away.

He eyed her, considering that. Finally, he eased slightly from his tense stance in surrender. "So now what?"

"Now, I buy you something to eat."

"That's it? No turning me in to the shinobi?"

"Not unless you want me to. Don't give me that look; it's not as if I haven't pilfered anything to eat in my days."

"You're just saying that."

"Nope. I was ten, I think, the last time. No, wait . . . Two years ago, I didn't want to turn around and get somewhere later than I planned. Village along the way, a stand found itself missing a few fruits. Now, then. Sandwiches?"

"If you're buying."

She laughed. "Of course, kiddo."

"Don't call me that! I'm nine years old, thank you very much."

"Ah." She nodded sagely. "Should I call you brat, then?"

He flushed. "Hey! I have a name!"

"Yeah?"

"Yeah! Taiki!"

Her soft smile obviously startled the boy. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Taiki. Come on, pick out your meal."

He stared at her for a moment, then turned to the open-air shop she had led him to. "That one," he decided, pointing to the one he wanted.

"The chicken sandwich? Good choice. We'll take two," she told the shopkeeper.

Upon paying for their meals, the young woman led Taiki toward a bench set up against the outside wall of a textiles shop. Taiki chowed down immediately, and she grinned. "Don't eat too quick, now. You'll make yourself sick."

"Mphmmph."

"Just try and savor it, okay?" She took a bite of her own sandwich, then studied the boy sitting next to her. "You know, you're pretty fast. Ever think about being a ninja?"

He scowled. "I want to be, but I don't have the money. I'd have to pay for schooling, food, _and_ lodging, since I don't live anywhere, and I _don't _want to go back to an orphanage."

"Hmm. Scout around for an apartment, yet?"

"I found one dirt cheap, but I can't even afford that with no money."

"Yeah? What's its rent?"

"Two hundred ryo, per month. School's four hundred ryo per year."

_Only that?_ she marveled. "All right. And with food, four thousand two hundred ryo for a whole year." She dug a hand into a pocket of her loose pants and withdrew a wallet. Counting out the notes, she nodded to herself. "Okay. Here, I'll leave you a little extra so you can clean the place and get a bed and clothes, at least."

Taiki's eyes boggled. "_Nani_? I can't take that!" He jumped up, and she was glad he had finished his sandwich already.

The girl rolled her eyes, still holding out the wallet. "Look, I've got plenty more in the bank. It's just me, and my sensei left me a lot. Go on, take it. It's fine."

Cautiously, disbelievingly, he reached out and accepted it into his hands. "Why?" he choked out.

She smiled. "Because I want to. Because I care. Look, you're limited to two hundred per month for food. When I come back next year, I'll bring you more so you can keep going."

Taiki was trying his hardest to not let her see him cry, and she pretended she didn't notice the tear that made its way past his defenses. "_Arigato_. _Arigato_."

The Hufflepuff nodded, beaming. "You're welcome, Taiki. You can repay me by working your hardest and shining that great radiance you're named for. I expect you to be able to tell me good things when I return."

"When are you coming back?"

"This month, next year. Hey, wanna help me finish my shopping?"

"Sure!" Taiki stuffed the wallet in one of the pockets of his trousers and zipped the pocket closed. Running a little ways, he stopped and turned back to her. "_Ne_, what's your name?"

"My name?" She grinned, stepping up to him and ruffling his scraggly, sand colored locks.

"My name is Hikari."

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**A/N: Please don't give up on me! It gets better . . . This was just the chapter introducing Hikari and Taiki.

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Japanese--English translations: (In order of appearance)

_(These are from using my translator widget and a romaji converter, so some may not be accurate. Feel free to correct me, and it would be very much appreciated.)_

Ryokousha--Traveller

Hai--Yes

Arigato gozaimasu--Thank you _(implies a greater degree)_

Baka--Idiot/fool

Orokamono--Fool

Iie--No

Nani--What

Arigato--Thank you

Ne--Say _(As in, "Say, what about . . .")_

_From BehindTheName-dot-com:_

Hikari--Light

Taiki---Tai--large/great---ki--radiance/shine


	2. Chapter 2

**IMPORTANT NOTE: In the Hidden Countries, Hikari is speaking Japanese. In Great Britain/Hogwarts, she is speaking English. Sentences spoken in Japanese in the latter will be in italics. This is how it will be for the entire story. When someone is struggling with saying a name, it is because it's been spoken in English, and the pronunciation is very strange to them. So, for instance, "Merlin" is chopped up into "Me-ru-lin," since syllables spoken by Japanese either end in a vowel or the letter "n." As an example: in the **_**Black Cat**_** anime, "Heartnet" is said as "Har-toh-neh-toh."**

**And if you're wondering when Gaara will appear, well . . . Not for several chapters, yet.

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**-Chapter Two-**

The sun beat down mercilessly upon the Village Hidden in the Leaves, Konohagakure no Sato. Sitting at the open-air ramen shop, sheltered by the long banners, Hikari couldn't care less. She was too miserable.

Bowls clinked together with the distinctive sound of pottery as Ichiraku and his daughter Ayame worked. Eventually, the sixteen-year-old was startled out of her reverie by a sharp pain on her forehead.

"_Itai_!" she cried, jerking back. "_Ossan_, what'd you do that for?"

Ichiraku snorted as he leaned across the counter towards her, not the least apologetic for having flicked her. "You were spaced out. Don't let your guard down, Hikari."

She grumbled incoherently. "I can't help it. This past year sucked."

Studying her for a moment, Ichiraku went back to washing bowls. "Yeah? How so?"

Hikari scowled. "Something bad happened. I couldn't do a thing about it because I was stuck in the hospital for something as stupid as a broken arm. And I was knocked out, but still!"

Ichiraku sighed. "You can't blame yourself for everything, Hikari."

"Yeah . . ." She slid off the stool and smoothed her pants out of habit. "The situation is going to get worse. I might see you next year, might not."

The old ramen maker fixed her with a stern look that was offset by a fond smile. "You make sure you do come back here for a fourth visit, _kodomo_."

"I'm not a kid, _furui gai_."

He nodded, and closed his eyes, all too aware after the stories she had told. "I know."

**........**

Suna wasn't any different than she remembered it, Hikari decided as she halted before the gate. The guard was even the same.

He studied her, a glimmer of recognition in his eyes. "Weren't you here last year?"

"_Hai_. Same reason and duration as last time. Do I need to repeat it?"

"_Iie_. I remember."

"Good. Is the Academy in session at this time?"

"It should let out soon."

"_Arigato_. Have a good day, sir."

"Hm."

Hikari entered the village after the guard let her past and smiled at the familiar sights. Even though it was just for a day each time and a year between, the place was growing on her, as it was with Konoha. She had even made a few friends here, all of them shopkeepers with whom she had gotten caught up in conversations.

As Taiki was presumably still in school, Hikari made her rounds of the marketplace, buying what supplies she needed and chatting. When she was done, she looked around, thinking. Where could she wait that he would find her?

The bench, she decided, and she sat down, heaving a sigh. The busy shoppers moved by without slowing, and she let her mind drift again to the thoughts plaguing her.

**........**

_Soft green eyes fluttered open, greeted by the sight of the Hospital Wing's stone ceiling. It was quiet for the moment, and she was surprised the Hufflepuff twins weren't there. They were very attached to her, especially after their mentors in the prank business, the Weasley twins, had left the year before._

_Something stirred on the bed beside her, and she turned her head to look blearily at a form crowned by unruly black hair. She blinked a few times, and the image cleared to reveal a miserable-looking emerald-eyed boy with round glasses and a lightning bolt scar._

"_Harry-san?" she whispered, confused. He jumped, startled, and __looked over at her. "Hikari?"_

"Hai_." She paused, making sure she remembered to speak in English. Sometimes, when she woke up, she got disoriented and started jabbering away in Japanese. "That is, yes."_

"_Hnn."_

_She waited a little bit, turning her gaze back to the ceiling. Finally, she spoke again. "I can sense emotions well, Harry-san. The entire school is saturated by sadness. What has happened?"_

_He didn't answer for a while. Then, "Dumbledore's dead."_

_Hikari felt like someone had stabbed her in the chest with a kunai and twisted. "No," she rasped, denial taking over immediately as she clutched a hand over her breast. "He can't- He- _How_?"_

_Again, the pause. Then he spoke again. It was just one word, but it awoke a pain unimaginable in her heart at the grief of the loss and the blatant betrayal._

"_Snape."_

_Hikari choked on a sob, curling up. She paid no attention to the fact that her arm was healed; she could only lay there, crying, casting aside the Shinobi Rules for the time being. Finally, she forced the tears back for a moment to ask another question._

"_Who else?"_

"_No one else," came the reassuring reply. And then, as if he had a bad taste in his mouth, and wanted to scrub it out, he told her what had happened in the Astronomy Tower, with Draco Malfoy and the other Death Eaters. When he was done, she was crying again. Several __minutes passed, and she finally quieted. In the silence that followed, she offered one statement, one warning._

"_Things are going to get much worse."_

**........**

"Hikari-onee-chan!"

Startled, Hikari twisted around to look at the boy running toward her. Taiki was a little taller now, and she could easily see the bright cheerfulness that had been hidden the last time. "Onee-chan?" she wondered aloud, shocked. She had made that much of an impression on the boy?

But of course she had. She had opened the door for him to achieve his dream to be a ninja. She just hadn't figured he would consider her family after one meeting.

The speeding form practically tackled her in an exuberant hug, at which she froze at first. "You're back! You're back!"

Hikari couldn't help but laugh when she got her breath back and relaxed. "I told you I would be. You're looking much better, now."

He stood back, grinning proudly. "I'm in the Academy now. I'm gonna be a ninja!"

"Good for you."

He paused, detecting an undercurrent in her proud voice. Seeing the way she was hiding emotions, he crossed his arms. "Onee-chan, what's wrong?"

Hikari's mouth opened and closed as she debated trusting this boy with her sorrows. Then, she sagged, giving in. "Let's find somewhere quiet so I can tell you about it, okay?"

Taiki nodded. "Okay. _Ne_, there's a park right down there. There shouldn't be anyone there right now."

"Sounds good to me," she agreed, and picked up the pack she had bought to carry her supplies. A couple minutes later, the two sat down on the abandoned swings, facing opposite directions.

Hikari heaved a sigh as she moved back and forth, pushing against the ground to keep going. Taiki did the same, and when they each reached the apex of their gentle swinging, the boy gave his surrogate sister a pointed look. "It's not talking if you don't say anything."

She smiled bitterly. "I know. I should probably start at the beginning, so that you understand my current position. Oh, Merlin . . ."

Taiki frowned. "Who's 'Me-ru-lin'?"

"Huh?" Hikari blinked, then burst out laughing. "Merlin," she corrected. "It's a foreign name, from the outside world."

"Outside world?"

The girl smiled. Then, quietly, she told him about the wizarding world, the first war against Voldemort, and summed up her years at Hogwarts. She told him how she was one of the rare few shinobi children to have both chakra coils and a magical core, and he grinned.

"Ooh! You're a ninja?"

Hikari shushed him. "Not so loud! I like to keep it on the down-low, so that no one gets any wrong ideas about me in that regard. Anyway, so now you know about Voldemort-baka's return, but . . . that's not what has me so sad."

She could feel Taiki's eyes on her as she slumped, remembering. They had long since stopped swinging, and now they faced each other, straddling the swings. Hikari gripped the chain in front of her, desperate for the strength to say the next words. "Do you remember the sensei I told you about, Dumbledore-sama?"

"Uh-huh."

"He . . ." Hikari choked on the next words. "He's dead," she forced out, the anguish clear. Still, she held back the tears, the Shinobi Rules her old sensei had quoted to her still fresh in her mind.

Taiki just about fell out of the swing as he sat up quickly, shocked. "Who killed him?"

She wilted further. "Severus Snape, the former Potions Master." Her hands turned white-knuckled as they gripped the chain. "This next year isn't going to be easy at all. I managed to get papers cooked up that list my sensei as my birth mother and as a witch, so no one will be after me as a Muggle-born. I tend to stay in the shadows anyway, so I might even be able to stay out of trouble at school, but . . . I'm scared, Taiki. I have friends that are Muggle-born, and I'd bet every ryo I have that the battle lines will be drawn before the school year is out. I might not be coming back."

"Don't talk like that!" Taiki was on his feet, scowling at her. "You don't give up. You don't! I believe in you, that you will come back next year just like you did this year. So-" He stopped himself, scrubbing angrily at his eyes. "So don't talk like that, ever. Please, nee-chan."

Hikari rose to her feet and was quick to embrace him, a rare tear landing on his still-scruffy hair. "All right, _ototo_. _Gomenasai_."

He sniffled loudly, holding onto her tightly. It was the first time she had referred to him as her little brother, and that in and of itself was moving for him.

Taiki pulled back, his slate blue eyes gazing at her steadily. "Promise me."

Hikari answered him with a bitter smile. "I will not promise that I will return, Taiki. I don't make promises that I don't know I can keep. But, I will promise you this. I will do my absolute best to return, and I won't be so pessimistic around you anymore. Is this acceptable?"

"Not quite." Taiki grinned at her. "You have to promise to keep in touch. Send letters?"

The kunoichi-witch nodded. "When I go shopping for school supplies, I'll buy an owl. But you have to reply, you know."

"Of course!" Taiki gave her another hug, ecstatic. "We'll keep it vague, in case anyone's reading the mail. I know I won't be able to mention anything about Suna, but . . . I just want you to know I'm okay, and I want to know that you are, too. Even just a simple note, saying, 'I'm alive,' will do."

Hikari held him close again. "I can do that."

**........**

August found her on the cobblestone streets of Diagon Alley once more. As she entered through the portal in the Leaky Cauldron, a hand gripped her shoulder, and it took every ounce of willpower she had to keep from attacking the owner.

She turned, scowling, and knocked the hand aside. "Can I help you?" she bit out.

The wizard standing there looked down his nose at her. "Mudblood, Halfblood, or Pureblood?"

"Halfblood," she answered. "Would you like my proof?"

He snorted. "Smart one, you are. Not many others thought to bring papers. Well, let's have it, then."

Hikari held out her falsified documentation, praying that he would buy it. As she had told Taiki, Hikari had listed Moriko, her sensei, as her birth mother, rather than make up a name. In truth, she had no memory of her parents, and Moriko-sensei had found her in the ruins of her village. If the kunoichi ever knew of her clan, she had taken that secret to her untimely grave.

_Then again, perhaps not. There is that box._

Ah, yes, the box. The box sealed with a very powerful _jutsu_ and a spell from Dumbledore until she reached the age of eighteen. Even now, it rested in her vault in Gringotts, and she could only ever imagine what it contained.

The wizard let out a grunt of approval. "You check out," he informed her, clearly just the slightest bit disappointed. "Keep that on you, if you don't want to taken to the Ministry of Magic for theft."

Hikari blinked. "Theft?"

"Of magic," he told her, as if it were obvious.

"Right." She was fully convinced the Death Eaters and the Ministry were insane, but she made no comment on that. She was smart enough to tell when to let something go . . . usually.

Gringotts was her first stop in the Alley. She replenished her wallet, having given Taiki the money she had brought him prior to leaving Suna. When she left the vault, she had not even taken one glance at the box. It would be there if she survived this year, and she would not be able to open it until the next.

Eeylops Owl Emporium was her final stop after purchasing all her supplies. The clerk was at the register when she entered, and he looked up to see who had come in. "Can I help you?"

"Yes, actually." Hikari smiled thinly. "I'm looking for an owl that can handle great distances, and more importantly, deserts."

The clerk nodded smartly. "Hume's Tawny Owl. We've got one just over here, if you'd like to take a look."

"Please."

Hikari followed the clerk through the rows, ignoring the many eyes following her slim figure. They were all owls anyway, so she had no need to be defensive.

At last, the clerk stopped at one cage in particular. "Here he is. Last one, actually. Proud bird, strong, loyal, and hardy. Fast, too, though not the fastest. Still, can be a good express bird, and since he's strong, as I said, he can handle somewhat bigger packages."

Hikari eyed the mottled, medium-sized brown bird, and the striking orange-yellow eyes. They reminded her of flames, somewhat, and she smiled. Somehow, she could tell this was the one. "Rousoku," she murmured. "Candle."

The newly monikered bird clicked his beak in approval at her. Turning to the clerk, she nodded. "I'll take him. How much?"

"Fifteen Galleons. Need food for him?"

"Please. I'm staying at the inn until I leave for Hogwarts, so Rousoku may not be able to hunt much."

"Hmm. Come over here and I'll get you what you need. Say, have you heard about the new Headmaster this year?"

"No," she answered, feeling slightly apprehensive. "Not McGonagall-sensei, I take it, based on your words and my supplies letter."

"Sensei? You foreign?"

Hikari gave him a look. "Don't the eyes give it away?"

He snorted. "Japanese don't usually have light green eyes like that."

The girl shrugged. "I must have mixed blood somewhere along the line," she answered, opting not to tell him that where she came from, eyes could be bright blue, and hair could be cotton candy pink – naturally, even. "Anyway, it's the shape that tells you."

"Huh. Anyway, McGonagall's still Deputy Headmistress, as you figured. Nah, that Potions professor's the new Headmaster. Severus Snape."

Hikari froze. Snape? That traitor, that murderer, was going to be her Headmaster at Hogwarts?

She forced the anger down, knowing it would do more harm than good right now. "Thank you for the info, sir, and for helping me. Final cost?"

The clerk checked the register, having ringed everything up already. "Twenty-five Galleons. Will that be all?"

"_Hai_. _Arigato_."

He gave her a look, which involved a scrunched up nose. "Yeah . . . Um . . . You're welcome?"

And then she was gone.

* * *

Japanese--English translations: (In order of appearance)

_(Some of hese are from using my translator widget and a romaji converter, so those may not be accurate. Feel free to correct me, and it would be very much appreciated.)_

Itai--Ouch

Ossan--(a term for an old man)

Kodomo--Kid

Furui gai--Old guy

Onee--Sister

Nee--Shortened form of "Onee"

Ototo--Little brother

Gomenasai--(Very) Sorry

Sensei--Teacher

_From BehindTheName-dot-com:_

Moriko---Mori--forest---ko--child


	3. Chapter 3

**I'd like to thank those who have bothered to read this, so far, and the few that put this on Story Alert. I'd also like to thank the reader who added this to their Favorites. Here's the last chapter before we get into her Seventh Year! I tried to keep facts as close to canon as I could . . . *grumbles at stupid document editor that won't let her underline the chapter heading*

* * *

**

**-Chapter Three-**

She watched the ramen shop silently, marveling in the very fact that she was here. Rousoku settled onto her shoulder, and she spared the loyal bird a glance. "Well, friend," she murmured, "we made it."

Rousoku nipped gently at her ear, causing her to smile. In the silent language between pet and owner, he seemed to be telling her, "quit stalling."

Obeying the sometimes ornery bird, Hikari approached the open-air shop and settled herself on one of the stools as her owl flew to the roof. "One pork ramen, please, oji-san."

Ichiraku nodded absently, calling, "Coming right up." A moment later, he seemed to have realized just what this familiar female voice had called him. He had no niece that old, although Ayame was the mother of a beautiful baby girl, and had a little boy on the way. He couldn't think of anyone who would possibly call him that except . . .

He turned, and his eyes opened wide at the sight before him. "Hikari!"

Hikari laughed. "Good to see you, too, oji-san. _Ne_, how's business?"

"Booming, or at least it is whenever Naruto comes around." Rounding the counter, Ichiraku gathered her up in a hug. She stiffened, not expecting the action, but then relaxed, trusting the old man. "It's good to see you again," he murmured.

Hikari nodded into his shoulder. "I didn't think I would be coming back. I almost didn't. Heck, I shouldn't be alive, oji-san! After that incident, it feels like a part of me has anyway."

Ichiraku frowned. "What incident? What have you been doing, Hikari-mei-chan?"

That simple name, that acceptance, meant worlds to the girl, and she managed a smile. "Surviving, apparently. There was a big fight where I was. Lots of people died. And- and I killed some of them. But what bothers me is, I don't feel bad about it. Why don't I feel bad, oji-san?"

Ichiraku pondered that. "Well, was it in defense of friends?"

"Yes."

"Well, then." He pulled away and tilted her chin up to look her in the eyes. "You have nothing to be ashamed of, no reason to regret. You're not a monster, Hikari. You don't slaughter people for no reason."

She hid her face in his shoulder again, feeling childish and not caring. "Sometimes I feel like I am."

Her only answer was his arms returning to hold her.

**........**

She was back again, at the gates of Suna. And lo and behold, there was the same guard as last time.

When he saw who it was who had come, he actually offered her a smile. "Back again, I see."

She nodded. "Yup."

"Well, then." The guard smiled. "Welcome back."

**........**

"Taiki-kun, I don't understand why you want to go through the marketplace. I thought your place was five blocks _that_ way."

Taiki shrugged, scratching at his head. In the past two years, its color had changed from a sandy blonde to a medium brown, closer to Kankuro-sama's hair. He had also had it cut, tired of the scraggly locks getting tangled so much. He looked more mature with the shorter hair, or as much as he could be. He was wise beyond his years, however, and always had been. "I told you, you don't have to follow me."

"_Maa_, I'm bored. So, fess up. Why are you going this way?"

Again, the eleven-year-old shrugged. "I just want to," he lied. In truth, he was watching for Hikari. He didn't want Kohaku to know that, though. He had never told anyone about his surrogate sister. They would ask questions, and he wasn't sure Hikari wanted them to know.

Kohaku rolled his eyes. "Fine. I'm going to go home, see if I can bug my aniki to train with me. See you tomorrow, Taiki!"

Taiki waved, grateful for his departure. He was his friend, yes, but for now Hikari was to be kept secret, and in the odd chance she actually _was_ there, he didn't want to have to explain things.

He continued on, waving every now and then to shopkeepers and shoppers that he knew. Finally, the bench was coming up.

Disappointment hit him hard and fast when he saw it empty, as much as he tried not to hope. It was around the time she came the last two years, and he wanted to see her again. The last letter had been in May, a simple, "I'm safe." Due to the fact that most other letters had consisted of, "I'm hanging in there," this seemed to signal that the worst was over for his onee-chan. He could only pray that was so.

A familiar head of brown hair passed into his vision, and he perked up, unable to keep himself from hoping. And sure enough, the young woman with the full sack stopped at the bench and began to sit down.

By then, he was already running to meet her.

**........**

"Hikari-nee-chan!"

The familiar cry had her on her feet again, not long after sitting down. "Taiki!"

The form that nearly tackled her was taller this time around, and looking down, she could see his hair had darkened with age, too, and had been chopped short. It looked good on him, she decided.

He hugged her tightly, as if afraid to let go. "I knew you'd come back. I knew it."

Hikari laughed, returning the embrace. He hadn't changed much at all. "Thanks for your faith in me, _ototo_. It's so good to see you again."

"Yeah." Taiki beamed, then looked as if he'd had a lightbulb moment. "Ooh! Wanna see my apartment?"

"Your apartment?" Hikari blinked. "Sure. I can tell you about my year when we get there. It'll be more private than a playground."

"Must have been some year."

Hikari let out a puff of air. "Yeah. It was. We like to call it the Year of Hell. Come on, let's go so I can spill."

Taiki laughed. "Sure. Follow me."

"Nice apartment," Hikari complimented as she looked around. "You got a real bargain when you rented this place."

"Yeah," agreed Taiki. "And it's all thanks to you. If it weren't for you, I'd still be stealing food, or I would be back in that place they call an orphanage."

Hikari made a face. "That bad, huh?"

"Almost four years is all I could stand, and I wasn't even nine. My parents died when I was five, and I got put in that slum. They're not too bad, I suppose, but I hated it."

"I see," Hikari said, nodding. "Well, when you graduate, they can't drag you back. As a shinobi, you're practically an adult."

Taiki nodded. "I'm just glad the landlord is sympathetic. Here, have a seat."

Hikari accepted the offer, sitting down on an old couch. The upholstery was patched and faded, but the cushions were soft and comfortable, the best kind in Hikari's opinion. New couches weren't broken in. "It's nice," she told him.

Taiki gave a pleased smile. "_Arigato_. I bought it cheap from one of my classmates' families."

"Sounds like people have been good to you."

"_Nn_," Taiki agreed. "I've made good friends."

"That's good to hear. Would you like to hear my story, now?"

"Yes, please!" The boy settled himself on the couch next to her, crossing his legs and leaning against the armrest to face her. Hikari's eyes twinkled in amusement, then saddened, remembering. "The year was just as bad as I figured it would be. Muggle-borns had to hide from Snatchers, groups of wizards loyal to Voldemort-_baka_ who hunted them down to take to the Ministry for trial. In their prejudice and contempt, they made the ludicrous excuse that they had stolen the magic, for how else would they have gotten it anyway? I might have stayed in the Hidden Countries were it not for the fact that I had falsified documents lying about my parentage, and I felt that I needed to be there. I had been involved for five years already; I was sucked in deep by then.

"Two Death Eaters taught at the school, teaching the Dark Arts, instead of the defense against them, and Muggle Studies, attempting to indoctrinate the students that Muggles and Muggle-borns were worthless, a lower form of life. Many of those who openly resisted had to hide out in the Room of Requirement when not in class so as to avoid the Carrows and the students that would harm them. Eventually, some had to hide permanently. I didn't, because I usually stay mostly to myself, but I payed secretive visits to them. I avoided the Carrows as much as I could, and Snape, who was the Headmaster."

"Seriously?" Taiki blurted out, disgusted.

Hikari nodded. "It was very tempting to kill him. However, a conversation with Dumbledore-sama's portrait convinced me not to."

**........**

"_Armadillo Bile," the girl whispered, senses trained on her surroundings. Snape was elsewhere in the castle, and she was taking the rare opportunity to sneak into his office. She had questions, and she needed answers._

_The gargoyle jumped out of the way, giving her a knowing grin. She ignored it, and stepped swiftly onto the rising spiral stairs. Once inside the office, Hikari cast a _muffliato_, not wanting to be heard by anyone outside. Then, turning to Dumbledore's portrait, she sighed sadly._

"_Hello, Dumbledore-sama."_

_The portrait smiled down at her. "Hello, Hikari. I was wondering when you would get around to coming."_

_Hikari snorted. "This world is messed up, _ossan_."_

_One of the other headmasters scowled at her. "Watch your tongue, child!"_

"_But he is an old man! And believe me, I respect him very much, but I'm also mad at him."_

"_Oh?" Dumbledore raised an eyebrow. "Whatever for?"_

"_Whatever for?" she sputtered, fighting against the urge to rail at him in Japanese. "I'll tell you whatever for! That stay in the hospital wing last year was _deliberate_! You made _sure_ I couldn't do anything!"_

_Dumbledore sighed. "Yes, I arranged for you to be stunned. I did not mean for your arm to be broken, however, or for you to actually be knocked unconscious."_

_Hikari scowled. "One other question. Why?"_

_His eyes closed, and he let out a long breath of air. "Because you could have – would have – stopped it."_

"_And wouldn't that have been a good thing? Dumbledore-sama, you were murdered! Don't you know how much that hurts?"_

"_Of course I do," he answered. "My own sister was killed because a former friend of mine and I got in an argument. It haunts me to this very day. Hikari, please trust me. There are things that I cannot yet confide in you. I _asked_ Severus to kill me."_

"_You _what_?"_

"_He refused at first, Hikari. I made him promise me, however, that he would. There is a wand that, if Tom got his hands on it, would give him a very big advantage. It claims an owner, and passes that claim onto the one who defeats the possessor. The only way to end the line would be to die without being defeated. By asking Severus to kill me, and by him doing so, I hoped to accomplish just that."_

"_But you don't know if it worked."_

"_No," he answered regretfully, "I don't. But I was already dying, anyway. Hikari, I must ask you, no matter how tempted you are, not to kill Severus. He is still loyal to me, even if he is the only one who knows it. Not even Minerva knows. Hikari, if word were to get back to Tom, then Severus's life would be in grave danger. He has long been a spy for the Order, and Tom does not take kindly to spies."_

_Hikari sighed, relenting. "All right. What should I do, then?"_

"_Wait," he instructed. "When the battle arrives, your skills will be indispensable. Let Severus handle things for now."_

_Reluctantly, Hikari nodded. "All right. Goodbye, Headmaster-sama."_

_Dumbledore smiled fondly. "No, Hikari. See you later."_

**........**

"So . . . Snape was actually on your guys' side? Dumbledore _asked_ him to kill him?"

Hikari nodded. "_Hai_. I found out after everything was over that his attempt had failed, but there is nothing that could be done about that. What Dumbledore-sama did was risky, and he knew it. It was the one last thing he could do to help Harry-san. Whatever else, Snape did for him. Secretively, of course. And as he said, he really was already dying.

"The months following the conversation were stressful. I stayed for the winter holidays, as I always do, and that in and of itself was a nightmare. Finally, May arrived, as did the battle."

She spaced out, then, remembering with a twisting stomach the bloody massacre brought about by her hands. Taiki looked at her in concern, frowning.

"_Daijoubu_?"

"Huh? Oh. Yes, I'm fine." And she was, for the moment. Ichiraku was right in that she shouldn't regret killing those dark wizards. After all, they were trying to kill her and those she had sworn to protect. It terrified her, though, that she was capable of such violence. She had seen a friend become like that once, and that single incident had destroyed that girl.

After a few seconds of hard, quick thinking, she settled on skimming over the battle, leaving out most of the things that related to her. "I killed a fair share of the attacking wizards. A group of them tried to sneak up from another direction, but I managed to stop them. There was a break, so I cleaned myself up a bit and helped with the injured, and then the battle began anew. I didn't do as much this time, and got to see Harry-san defeat Voldemort-_baka_. Turns out, when Malfoy disarmed Dumbledore-sama, the Elder Wand – the wand Dumbledore-sama spoke of – transferred ownership to him. At a later time, Harry-san unknowingly took ownership rights to the Elder Wand when he disarmed Malfoy, and Voldemort-_baka_ killed Snape before the battle, thinking he possessed ownership. With Harry being the wand's true master, the Elder Wand refused to kill him, and Harry-san's disarming spell reflected the Killing Curse back on that twisted dark wizard."

Taiki's eyes were wide. "Wow. What did you do during the battle?"

Hikari grimaced. "_Gomen_, but I'd rather not think about that. Another time, perhaps."

"Hmm. _Ne_, there's a rumor going around in the Academy that Kazekage-sama is in contact with magic stick users – wizards. If it's true, and there's ever a chance to visit you at Hogwarts, I will."

"Really?" Hikari's eyes lit up at the prospect, though the thought of shinobi being at Hogwarts threw her for a loop. Did she want to keep her secret anymore? Before, it was because the shinobi and wizard worlds hardly ever mingled. What now, though, with diplomatic ties being made?

Taiki nodded. "It's a promise."

Hikari ruffled the boy's hair as she smiled, pleased. "I'd like that. You know, I was thinking . . . I'm graduating this year, and I'll be spending most of my time in the Hidden Countries, when not visiting friends in England."

"_Eikoku_?" Taiki questioned.

"Our word for_ 'England.'_"

Taiki tested the word on his tongue. "In-glan-di?"

Hikari laughed. "Close enough. You know, if you do come visit, you'll need to use a translation jutsu or spell. But back to what I was saying. Ever since my sensei found me, I've been a nomad. At least until I was eleven and went to Hogwarts. We didn't ever stop moving for more than a month. After my sensei died after my first year of school, I continued travelling in the Summer. I've been looking for a home, a village to be loyal to. Both Konoha and Suna are my top choices, but I only have Ichiraku in Konoha. Here, I have you."

Taiki stared at her, beginning to get the gist of where she was going with this. Grinning, she concluded the thought.

"What do you think about me becoming a citizen of Sunagakure no Sato and us forming a clan together as adopted brother and sister?"

A moment was all she had to wait for Taiki's answer, and it came in the form of a flying body that really did tackle her in a hug this time. A few seconds later, Taiki pulled away, grinning broadly down at her. "I'd like that very much, onee-chan."

* * *

Japanese--English translations:

Oji--Uncle

Mei--Niece

Maa--Well

Daijoubu?--Are you all right?


	4. Chapter 4

**Thank you so, so much for reviewing, skyflyte12**! It really means a lot. **:-)**

We finally move on from the introductory chapters. I love the flashback. **XD** By the way, pictures of Hikari and the Hufflepuff twins are linked to in my profile.

Yes, I know that one of these characters is dead in canon. That's part of why this is AU, as is the fact that Harry's there. And no, he's just going to be a minor supporting character, as are his friends.

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**-Chapter Four-**

It was the first of September, and the beginning of her last year at Hogwarts. Sometime after the battle, McGonagall had spread the word that the school was going to be open, and that those who had missed a year were allowed to pick up where they had left off. Hikari was excited about this, for most of her handful of friends were Muggle-born, and thus were absent in that year she very dearly wished to forget.

Familiar voices drew her attention away from the train she was about to board. Looking toward the magical barrier to Platform 9¾, familiar faces presented themselves, along with characteristic blazing red hair.

Hikari waved. "Ginny-san!" she called out, greeting the Gryffindor Seventh-Year. The girl waved back, beaming at her. "Hikari! It's good to see you!"

Stepping away from the Hogwarts Express, Hikari joined the girl and her party in order to greet them. "It is good to see you, too, Ginny-san. _Ohaiyo_, Harry-san, Hermione-san, Ronald-san, Fred-san, and George-san."

They each greeted her back, familiar with her lengthy addresses, compounded by the addition of the honorifics. When they each had said hello, Fred threw an arm around her shoulders, copied by one-eared George on the other side. "How ya doing?" they asked in unison, as was common with the Weasley twins.

Hikari smiled, unperturbed by the contact. With people she knew and trusted, it didn't bother her. It was just startling the first time around was all, and rather uncomfortable if she was unsure about the person. "Much better than last year, I'll tell you that. Have you seen the Watkins yet?"

"Nah," Fred answered. "But we'll stick around to say hello to them if they come," finished George.

The Japanese girl nodded in acknowledgement, knowing they wouldn't miss seeing their protégés for the world, especially after they had gone into hiding last year as Muggle-borns. She looked forward to seeing the two pranksters again most of all, worried for their safety but hiding it well. "I'm sure they'll be here. So you've decided to come back to Hogwarts this year, Harry-san?"

Smiling, Harry nodded. "Hermione convinced me to, and Professor McGonagall suggested that I do. Apparently there's a new class being introduced this year that would be beneficial to my career as an Auror. Besides," Harry finished with a grin at his girlfriend, "Ginny will be there."

Ginny blushed, and Ron, Fred, and George each said at the same time, "Two feet, lover boy."

Hikari laughed as Harry and Ginny turned crimson. "Should we say that to you and Hermione-san, then, Ronald-san?"

Ron and Hermione blushed at that, glancing briefly at each other. "All right," Ron conceded. "Just no non-innocent touching."

"RONALD!" Harry, Ginny, and Hermione chorused in embarrassment, much to the other three's amusement.

Hikari snickered. "Well, I'll leave you to it, then. I'll see you four at school. Bye Fred-san, George-san."

"Take care, girl," came the fond reply from the twins. She smiled at them, then returned to the train.

A short while later, Hikari carried her small bag down the corridor as she searched for a suitable compartment, her trunk and Rousoku in the trusted hands of the train's baggage handlers. By now, a good number of the compartments were being claimed, and she didn't want to join a large group, one of her own possibly coming.

At last, down in the next-to-last car, she found a compartment that held only one occupant. Her clothing style looked familiar, but it was not wizard dress, so she couldn't figure why for a moment. Then it hit her, and she scolded herself for her stupidity, though one wouldn't expect such a person normally. Next, she wondered what on earth a shinobi was doing here, of all places. _Then again, there was that one rumor Taiki told me about._

The kunoichi looked up at her as the door slid open, her blonde hair done up in four spiky ponytails. Thick bangs brushed over elegant eyebrows, which sheltered calm, dark green eyes with long, thick lashes. Her hourglass-engraved hitai-ate hung like a necklace around her throat, the cloth a dark blue that complimented the lavender wrap-like dress she wore, secured by a dark blue obi. Fishnet went down to her elbows beneath the short-sleeved garment, and down to her knees beneath the short skirt. The Suna-issue ninja sandals were also dark blue, and a giant iron fan was stored on the shelf above the seat.

Hikari smiled sheepishly at the woman. "_Ano_ . . . do you mind if I and a few friends sit in here?"

The woman blinked, then shook her head. "_Iie_. Go ahead. You speak Japanese?"

"_Hai_. I come from a place somewhere around Tokyo. I did not realize I would meet anyone else at Hogwarts who spoke my language."

"I did not realize Japanese had light green eyes."

"I didn't know they had blonde hair," Hikari quipped back as she sat down by the window, across from her companion.

The woman smiled. "I'm not actually from Japan. Do you have mixed heritage, then?"

"Probably," Hikari answered with a shrug. "I never knew my parents."

"Oh. _Gomenasai_."

"It is no problem," Hikari replied with a laugh. "I'm Hikari, by the way."

"Temari," returned the kunoichi. "My brother Kankuro will be joining us shortly, but he's the only other one. Our youngest sibling is already at the school, meeting with the Headmistress. We had to pick things up from Diagon Alley, on the other hand, so we were forced to take the train."

"I see."

As if Temari's words had prompted his arrival, a grumbling young man came into the compartment, not making much of an effort to be quiet about it. His hair was brown, his eyes as dark as his sister's, but brown and sharper and more mischievous when they landed on Hikari.

"Well, well, who have we here?"

Hikari gave him a bored look. He was attractive, yes, but upfront and not her type. "Hikari," she answered. "No known family name. Kankuro . . . sensei, I presume?"

Brother and sister stared at her in muted shock. "How'd you know we're the new teachers?" Temari asked.

Hikari rolled her eyes. "You are older than me and clearly not students. I heard a new class was being introduced, and while it is rare that the teachers travel on the train with the students, it does happen. Besides, you said your _younger _sibling was already at Hogwarts, meeting with McGonagall-sensei."

Kankuro smirked. "Smart girl."

"And your _student_, Kankuro-sensei."

A slender hand came up to whack Kankuro on the back of his head, prompting a stuttering protest. "Which means she's off-limits, so no flirting, Kankuro. Sit down, the train will be leaving soon. _Ne_, Hikari-san, when will your friends be arriving?"

A worried look crossed Hikari's face. "I'm not certain they will be. They haven't replied to letters, and since they're Muggle-born, there's a chance something happened to them."

"Ah, Hikari, don't be pessimistic," a familiar voice scolded from the open door. A very similar voice joined in the chiding. "Yeah, we're too smart to be caught by some stupid Death Eaters."

Hikari was up like a shot, borrowing from Taiki's playbook as she practically tackled Jeffery and Allen Watkins, the Hufflepuff twins, in her excitement. _"Stupid, stupid, stupid! Why didn't you answer my letters? Do you have any idea how _worried_ I was?"_

Jeff and Al rushed to calm her down. "English, girl, English!"

"Yeah, you know we only understand a few words and phrases of that language of yours."

"_Gomen_," Hikari answered sheepishly, drawing away. "Now, to repeat what I said in words you can understand, why on earth did you not answer my letters? I've been worried sick about you two, even if you can't tell!"

The twins guided her back inside the compartment and pushed her back down into her seat. "Really sorry about that," Jeff apologized. "We were helping our parents settle back in after our forced vacation to America. Pretty sure that's where most of us Muggle-borns ended up until we got the word."

"Really nice to be coming back," Al added. "Fred told us how close he came to buying it during the battle, and that crazy lady trying to kill him had thought she'd succeeded, based on what she told Mrs. Weasley. It's wonderful to see our mentors still alive."

Hikari's gaze softened. "_Hai_. Lupin-san and Tonks-san came close as well, but timely intervention prevented that from happening."

Allen's eyes narrowed. "Fred mentioned that term, too."

"You saved his life?" Jeff prompted.

"Erm . . ." Hikari blushed. "Don't go around talking about it, okay? It terrifies me how close we were to losing them." She shuddered at the thought, and was grateful when Kankuro interrupted.

"You were in the battle, then?"

"_Hai_. I was. It was . . . an experience I would never wish to repeat."

"_Nn_."

"Oh! Forgive me," she apologized. "Al-kun, Jeff-kun, this is Kankuro-sensei and Temari-sensei. Senseis, this is Allen and Jeffery Watkins."

"Ah-len and Jeh-fu-rii?" Needless to say, the attempt to say the names was very choppy. Temari laughed, amused. "Try merging the syllables, more, Kankuro," she advised. "My apologies, Alu-san, Jeffu-san. Even though we have been learning 'En-gleesh' for a while, some words are difficult to manage, still."

"No prob," Al assured her, flapping a hand in dismissal. "And it's 'een-glish.'"

Jeff smirked. "Hikari couldn't pronounce our names right, either. 'Dun-boo-doh-ru,' 'Fli-ti-wi-ku,' 'Mi-go-na-ga-lu,' 'Hah-ree,' 'Ro-na-du,' 'Heh-my-oh-nee,' 'Snah-pay,' . . ."

Hikari blushed hard at that last one. Oh, yes, she remembered well the first time she called the deceased Potions Master that . . .

**........**

_Hikari stared down at her timetable with confusion. How did Moriko-sensei and the others expect her to figure out these strange words so quickly? None of these made much sense._

"_Hey, you . . . Foreign girl. It's time for Potions."_

_Hikari murmured an '_arigato_' to her classmate, doubting she would have known without her. Standing, she followed the girl to the dungeons, where the Hufflepuffs and the Ravenclaws filed into the classroom. The strange teacher came in, blathering on about some such or other, and produced an ingredients list on the blackboard. With one word throwing her for a loop, she raised her hand._

_The teacher scowled down at her. "Yes?"_

"Gomen_, Snah-pay-sensei. But-"_

"_Wait," he growled._

_Hikari froze. "_Hai_?"_

"_What did you call me?"_

_She frowned, ignoring the giggles from some of the other students. "Snah-pay-sensei. Is that not your name? 'Ess-in-ay-pee-ee.' Snay-pee-sensei?"_

_The laughter grew, darkening the scowl on the Potions Master's face. "It's 'Snape,'" he corrected icily._

_"Snay-pu." She practiced that a few times, then nodded in comprehension. "_Gomenasai_, Snay-pu-sensei."_

_He grunted. It was a little further from the correct pronunciation, but at least it sounded better. "Close enough. What is it you were going to ask?"_

"_Oh! I cannot read that word. The long one, second one down."_

_He looked, and provided the pronunciation for her. Thanking him, she let her expression twist in frustration. "En-gleesh talk funny."_

_Was it just her, or did he actually start to smile in amusement?_

"_One might say the same about Japanese."_

**........**

"Hey, what's so funny?"

Startled, Hikari looked up and blushed, four pairs of eyes fixed directly on her. "Just remembering," she answered, and told them about her first experience in Potions. "I was still having a hard time with the language, then," she confessed while the others laughed.

Kankuro grinned. "Do you think, if we need help with translation, you could help us out now and then?"

"Sure," she agreed. "Even that brother of yours, I suppose."

"Great!" he cheered. "I'll be sure to tell him."

The train lurched, starting off, and the twins rushed to the window, shoving it open. "BYE, EVERYONE!" they shouted, waving wildly, and Hikari laughed.

"All right, you two, don't fall out of the window, now. _Ne_, Kankuro-sensei . . . When you came in, you looked upset about something."

Kankuro smiled sheepishly. "Ah, _gomen_," he chuckled as the twins closed the window and plopped down on either side of the compartment. "I just usually dress differently-"

"A _lot_ differently."

"-and I was not the happiest to have to wear this," he finished, ignoring his sister's interruption. He wore black jeans, and he plucked at the dark blue dress shirt he wore as he spoke. "But I would have stood out a lot in London with how I usually dress."

Hikari winked. "Don't worry, Kankuro-sensei. I assure you, you look quite handsome."

Kankuro blushed. "_Arigato_, Hikari-san."

She grinned. "You're welcome."

**........**

It was a little after lunchtime when the pleasant conversation between the five got interrupted. Hikari looked up from her textbook in alarm as someone came running down the corridor, and set it aside as the door was pulled open.

A small blonde girl shoved the door closed as she breathed heavily, blue eyes shimmering with tears.

Hikari quickly gathered the girl in her arms. "Eliza, what's wrong? What happened?"

The petite Third Year held tightly to the older girl, relief evident in her quivering frame. "G-Gregory B-Banes," she stuttered, recovering from the adrenaline high that fear brought. "H-He said mean things about m-my dad . . ."

Hikari pulled the smaller girl down beside her as she sat, stroking her curly hair calmly. Inside, she was furious at the Slytherin bully. "Shh . . . It's all right, Eliza-chan. You're safe, now. Don't worry about that pompous jerk. He doesn't know anything."

Kankuro and Temari watched with intense solemnity. "What happened?" the sister asked softly, soothingly.

Eliza sniffled, peeking out at the woman. She was wary, obviously unsure whether to trust these new people or not.

Hikari smiled at her in reassurance. "It's okay, Eliza-chan. They're friends, and new teachers."

The small girl relaxed, going limp against her friend and protector. "Gregory was insulting my family. He said really mean things about Dad. I called him stupid and a really bad name and ran here before he could do anything."

Hikari tensed, knowing how hard her friend must be taking it. Her family meant everything to her. And on top of that was the fact she had retaliated. How would Banes take that? She was glad little Eliza Smith had gotten out of there before he reacted violently, and was furious that he had even instigated the confrontation. "Unfortunately, Kankuro-sensei, Temari-sensei, school has not yet begun, so you don't yet have the authority to punish Banes, and his gang would denounce Eliza-chan's claims."

Temari scowled. "We can't just let this go."

"We aren't," Jeff answered. Al nodded in confirmation. "This calls for Watkins-style justice."

Hikari squeezed the girl beside her gently. "More like Hikari-style justice," she corrected. No one knew about her being a ninja, and she worked hard to keep it that way. As such, any retaliation of hers was truncated severely. Preferring not to kill, anyway, she had a wicked sense of humor, and humiliation was her revenge. She pranked rarely, never getting caught, and blackmailing the victims to keep silent after she gave them her reasons for the prank. But when she did prank, she pranked hard. No one ever forgot the incidents, and the Weasley twins – two of the handful of people to know about her status as the perpetrator of the pranks – were happy to take the credit for them. A friend of hers was a friend of theirs, and when one of her friends was wronged, they gladly did what they could to help with the humiliation of the person to blame. The Watkins twins did the same, trading off when they took credit with their mentors, and gleefully learned what they could from her.

Jeff and Al shared a wicked grin at her words. "How long will we wait?"

"A couple weeks," she decided, her mind already hard at work. "It'll take time to get everything we need, and we don't want him to be expecting it. I'll do all the planning and setup; you do the actual job."

Kankuro eyed her carefully. "Should we be worried?"

"Don't worry, Kankuro-sensei." Hikari smirked. "Banes will not be hurt."

"Except for his pride," Al offered.

"Oh, _definitely_ that," Jeff agreed.

Hikari nodded. "Banes is cunning, and knows that the teachers are unable to do anything. Any complaints against him are not concrete, with his gang of followers, and he only ever goes after his victims when they are alone, with no portraits to listen in. Also, he never touches them, not even with magic. His weapons of hurt are his words, and with no proof, the teachers can do nothing. As such, sometimes one must take matters into their own hands if they want it to stop. An offense against my friends is an offense against me, so I do what others cannot, even if the school at large is unaware."

The new teachers looked from the malicious grins on the twins' faces, to the hard gleam in Hikari's eyes, to the appreciatively smiling Eliza.

Kankuro shook his head. "I'd hate to be in the shoes of the idiot that crosses you." At the raised eyebrows from Hikari, he sighed. "I'll look the other way, for now," he told them. "If only because I can't do anything about this guy's insulting your friend. Just don't actually hurt the guy, or McGonagall-san will have my head."

Hikari grinned, having received an agreeing nod from Temari. "Don't worry, Kankuro-sensei. I won't. And trust me . . ."

She looked at the twins, their expressions turning absolutely gleeful to match hers. Together, they spoke.

"This is going to be worth it."

* * *

Japanese--English translations:

Ohaiyo--Good morning

Ano--_(Not sure of the exact definition, but I liken it to "Um")_

Nn--_(An informal way of saying "yes," I think)_


	5. Chapter 5

Thank you so much for reviewing, **skyflyte12** and **Little Kunai**!

**skyflyte12--** And she and I know exactly what the humiliating prank is going to be, too. XD

**Little Kunai--** Thank you. And yes, adding detail is one of the areas I struggle in. Thank you for pointing it out, though! If you hadn't, I might not have noticed. :-P

When I wrote this, I couldn't remember if the welcoming speech was before or after dinner. I'm pretty sure now that it's before, but it's a new year, so who says things can't shift around? :-P And yes, more people who aren't alive in canon. If you flame me, I'm grabbing the marshmallows. XD

* * *

**-Chapter Five-**

The Welcoming Feast was always a big affair for Hogwarts. It marked the beginning of a year for students and teachers alike, and it was a time when friends reunited and newcomers got a taste of just how grand it could be. Sure, there was a dinner every night, but this was the most elaborate aside from Halloween or other special occasions. Word was circling that Victory Day, May 2nd, the day Voldemort-_baka _was finally defeated, was going to be devoid of school and filled with celebration, including a ball in the evening for ages fourteen and above. Due to the Muggle-born hunting the year previous, many were picking up where they left off, which meant that "Fourth Year and above" was no longer such a specific term. Fourteen-year-olds were in the Third Year, and so on and so forth. Even those who would have started the previous year were allowed to enter as First-Years. Until the returning students were filtered through, it would be like that.

The teachers were already seated when Second-Years and above entered the Great Hall, although one seat was empty. Flitwick was missing, no doubt to take over McGonagall's job in years past as the one briefing the new students for the Sorting.

Hikari eyed the present teachers curiously. There were several new faces, including a handsome redhead seated between Temari and Kankuro. She let her gaze pass on, deciding to study him later when he was introduced. That would be the most opportune time, when staring eyes were indecipherable from another. There was an aura of power around him, so much stronger than even Dumbledore's had been.

Remus Lupin was there, she noted with joy, a broad grin threatening to split her face in two in a slightly uncharacteristic display of her feelings. His wife, Tonks, sat beside him, talking to Madame Pomfrey as the Metamorphmagus changed the color of her hair from warm pink to sickly green and back again. Their year-old son was placed in a high chair between the latter two, reaching for an enchanted toy as his own hair shifted its color constantly. One moment, it was a deep blue, while the next, it was a bright fire-engine red.

Jeff and Al took her by the arms as she paused a moment too long, leading her to a seat at the Hufflepuff table while Eliza followed. Since the incident on the train, she had stuck to the trio like glue, refusing to leave them for a moment. Hikari welcomed it, fiercely protective toward her friends and especially to the poor girl. She was very small for her age, perhaps a trait that attracted the heckling in the first place. A pushover, one might call her, but it didn't matter for the moment. Hikari and the twins would stick up for her, even if no one else would or could. It was evident that Temari and Kankuro were on their side, and at least there was that.

Hikari was surprised Harry made it as far into the room as he did before he was noticed, and then there was no avoiding the matter for him. A loud cheer broke out, thunderous applause congratulating and thanking the Champion of Hogwarts for his victory against Voldemort-_baka_ in this very room.

He flushed, scratching sheepishly at the back of his head, and did his best to escape. Helping him, Ginny, Hermione, and Ron whisked him off to the Gryffindor table, upon which the commotion eventually died down.

Hikari laughed at the spectacle, knowing how hard it must be for Harry. Like her, he shunned the spotlight as much as he could, but being a celebrity figure from when he was but a child, that wasn't really possible. In a way, it was good that he had grown up in such a home as he had. It taught him not to be haughty, and what being the Little Guy was like. For him to return to Hogwarts, knowing it would be like this, must have taken great bravery on his part.

Finally, it was time for the Sorting. Surprisingly enough, the Hat had survived being lit on fire the previous year, and its song was catchy and triumphant. Hikari noted the surprise on Kankuro and Temari's faces as it spoke, and smirked. She, too, had been surprised, being completely new to the whole magic thing. As the Sorting Hat sifted through the new students, she thought back to her own, six years back.

**........**

_Hikari stared at the ceiling in awe, the stars in the clear night sky twinkling down at her. An enchantment, she had heard one of the other First-Years refer to it as, and she figured it was like a _genjutsu_. But this one was permanent, and had lasted decades. There was so much you could do with magic! She was very much looking forward to __the coming years, despite missing Moriko-sensei._

_She settled into line among her fellow newcomers, still staring around at her surroundings as she ignored a few curious faces. Briefly, she glanced at Dumbledore, with whom she shared a quick smile. He was the only one who knew about where she had come from, and he had been a great help to her as he aided Moriko-sensei in buying things for Hikari, and in transferring her funds to Gringotts. Already, he felt like a friend._

_Professor McGonagall began the Sorting, an Andrews, Isabella, being sorted into Ravenclaw, soon followed by others. Through the alphabet they went, until they came to her name._

"_Hikari," McGonagall called, the lack of a surname prompting curious-sounding chatter from many._

_Hikari mounted the steps to the stool, smiling nervously up at the Transfiguration professor. Then, being seated, she allowed the Hat to be dropped onto her head, hanging over her eyes and blocking out her view of the room._

_Hikari twitched at that, the lack of sight disturbing her. And into her thoughts, a voice was projected._

"Well, well," _it said, sounding impressed. _"It is extremely rare that we get one of your kind here, Hikari-san. The last one was more than a decade ago, from a village in Snow Country."

_Hikari regarded the presence with surprise. _I did not expect to actually be spoken to in my mind.

"Forgive me for neglecting to ask permission, Hikari-san."

It is all right, I suppose. Please swear to me to reveal nothing of what you have seen in my mind, or what you will see.

"May I be snipped into little pieces and cast into a vat of acid if I ever do," _the Hat intoned._ "May I begin my analysis?"

You may.

"Very good. Now, then . . . Well, well, you are quite the mix. Even Harry Potter wasn't this difficult."

Harry Potter? Dumbledore-sama mentioned that name.

"Ah, yes, you'll find out about him soon enough. Just don't trust everything you hear. As for you, this is quite interesting. Very well balanced. Your training makes you cunning, a good fit for Slytherin, but you are a kind soul, and that would not be a pleasant House for you. You have great bravery, even if you choose not to act on it, a trait cherished by Gryffindor. But there is also your sharp mind, an excellent characteristic prized by Ravenclaw. And then . . . Oh, yes . . . Loyalty. That is a very good thing, indeed. And if you are anything, you are loyal. Yes, I know just the place for you. If there is one defining trait of those who enter Hufflepuff, it is their loyalty. Do you consent to this?"

I . . . _Hikari couldn't think of anything to say._

_The Hat laughed warmly, correctly interpreting her silence. _"Very well. Good luck, Hikari-san, in . . ."

"_HUFFLEPUFF!"_

**........**

An elbow in her ribs jerked her out of her memory, and she turned to scowl at the smirking twin of the boy who sat on her other side. Eliza sat beyond Jeff, the perpetrator, and was chatting with a fellow Third-Year as they watched the events at the front of the hall.

Jeff rolled his eyes at her annoyance. "Sorting's almost over. You spaced out again."

"Ah. _Gomen_. I was simply remembering my own conversation with the Hat."

On the other side of her, Al nodded sagely. "You know, that Hat wanted to put us in one of the other Houses. Slytherin, because we're really cunning with the pranks; Ravenclaw, because we can be really smart; and Gryffindor, because we're really brave."

"We'd have to be," Jeff added, "to do all the pranks we have."

"Aye. When it came down to it, it was our loyal natures that got us into Hufflepuff, aside from our balanced traits. We gain a friend, we stick by them till the end."

Hikari grinned. "That's exactly what happened with me."

"Really? You know, one has to keep an eye on Slytherin, because cunning and ambition are encouraged there, but I'm of the opinion that Hufflepuff is the one you _really_ have to watch out for." Al grinned, a practically evil glint in his eyes. "Take the prank you're planning, for instance. No one would ever expect that from you, so that's why you've avoided notice until now."

"And because you two and the Weasley twins have taken the blame."

"Ah. True, that. Anyhow, everyone expects the usual things out of every other House, but no one ever really thinks about us Hufflepuffs. As I hear that Hat sang once, Helga Hufflepuff was like, 'I'll take the lot, and teach them just the same.' We're the ones who don't fit into Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, or Slytherin, or on the opposite side of things, the ones who fit into all of them. No one ever really knows what to expect from us, aside from that loyalty most of us are known for."

Hikari smiled proudly. "I haven't ever really thought about that before. I've known it, but I just haven't gotten philosophical about it all. Guess that's your Ravenclaw intelligence being put to good use, huh?"

"Maybe," Al agreed.

As Zimmermann, Alex, was Sorted into Ravenclaw, the ceremony came to a close. Professor Flitwick quickly stowed away the Hat and stool with a quick charm, then scurried to his book-laden chair as Headmistress McGonagall stood. She waited until the diminutive Charms Master was seated, then raised her hands for attention.

"Welcome, one and all," she told the gathered students. "I'm sure you are all hungry, so I will not bore you yet. I only ask that you try not to overstuff yourselves, as Madame Pomfrey would like to go a few days before getting any patients. First-Years, do not be alarmed by the ghosts. And now . . . enjoy the meal."

The food appeared, and newcomers started, having not expected that in the slightest. As everyone dug in, Hikari pressed her palms together in a praying position and bowed her head. "_Itadakimasu_," she said, then began to pick out her food. She didn't talk much as she ate, preferring to listen to the twins and to what rumors she could pick up from the chatter. There was much talk about the Lupins' presence and speculation about each new teacher's role, and ever so much more about the three strangely dressed foreigners at the Staff Table. At some point after parting ways with the three students, Kankuro had found time to change into a completely black, slightly baggy outfit with a white-lined circle on the front, split down the middle with one half yellow and the other half red. His hitai-ate was built into the cat-eared hood he usually wore, which was hung on the corner of his chair. In addition, his purple face paint was applied in a sparing manner, no doubt to not scare the kiddies _too_ much at first.

Finally, the stacks of dessert disappeared, and McGonagall stood, clapping her hands twice, sharp and loud.

"If I might have your attention?"

Her voice cut easily through the chatter, magnified by a simple, low-level _sonorus_. The noise died down swiftly, each of the students turning immediately to watch her as they listened.

McGonagall smiled. "On behalf of the staff, I offer you all a warm welcome to Hogwarts. We are all very happy that so many of you have decided to return in light of the end of the last year.

"There are many changes this year, as you might have guessed. I will remind you, however, that to enter the Forbidden Forest unless given express permission is a grave offense. This is for your own protection, as the forest hosts dangerous creatures, and the centaurs are not keen on trespassers in their midst.

"Now, as for the first change, you will note that the dormitories contain extra beds. This is in regards to there being extra students this year, with some of you picking up from the year you missed.

"The second change has to do with the staff. As Headmistress, I can no longer retain my position as Transfiguration professor. Instead, Elma Burke will be taking over that position. She is quite capable, and I am confidant that she will be able to teach you well.

"Professor Filius Flitwick, Charms Master and head of Ravenclaw, has taken over the position of Deputy Headmaster. The following staff remain the same: Rubeus Hagrid, keeper of the keys and grounds, and Care of Magical Creatures professor. Rolanda Hootch, flying instructor and head Quidditch referee. Argus Filch, caretaker. Madame Poppy Pomfrey, Head Healer. Horace Slughorn, Potions Master and head of Slytherin. Pomona Sprout, professor of Herbology and head of Hufflepuff. Sybill Trelawney, Divination. Bathsheda Babbling, Ancient Runes. Cuthbert Binns, History of Magic. Irma Pince, Librarian. Aurora Sinistra, Astronomy. Septima Vector, Arithmancy.

"Several posts have had to be filled this year aside from Transfiguration. For Muggle Studies, Abigail Prince." The applause that popped up at each mentioned name returned, then silenced. In answer, McGonagall smiled. "I'm sure many of you recognize these next two. Jointly teaching Defense Against the Dark Arts are Remus Lupin, and his wife, Nymphadora Tonks Lupin."

The applause was thunderous, and several of the older students let out whoops of joy at the werewolf's return. "Welcome back!" came an enthusiastic shout, and the married couple sitting at the staff table blushed, waving a little to the throng.

Pleased at the warm reception, McGonagall called for attention. "Quiet, please! Thank you. Now, we of the staff have unanimously decided to give Professor Lupin practice for his son, Teddy. In this regard, he will be replacing me as Head of Gryffindor."

The Lion House erupted in cheers. Happiest of all, Hikari could see, was Harry, who beamed proudly at his father's old friend.

Soon enough, it grew quiet again. Now was the time to introduce the three strangely dressed people sitting at the high table, the ones around whom most of the dinner speculation had centered.

McGonagall gave a sign, and the three rose. "In the past few years, we have been in marginal contact with the little-known land of the Hidden Countries, the Shinobi Nations. Our allies among them are the Village Hidden in the Leaves, and the Village Hidden in Sand. Respectively, Konoha and Suna.

"In light of the battle last year, we have decided to add another class this year, and perhaps it shall remain in years following. In hopes of strengthening our diplomatic ties, Suna has agreed to aid us in this endeavor. The leader of Suna, the Kazekage, will be visiting off and on to oversee these new classes, which will be to teach you all _taijutsu_ – basically, hand-to-hand combat." Whispers broke out, and McGonagall raised a silencing hand. "Might I have the pleasure to introduce to you all the Kazekage of Sunagakure no Sato, Sabaku no Gaara. Or in the English translation, Gaara of the Desert."

Hikari finally focussed her attention on the redheaded male standing between Temari and Kankuro, as if they were his bodyguards. His clothes consisted of black trousers and a burgundy coat, over which a vest with one strap over the left shoulder was placed. It was gray, and seemed to be a modified version of the flack jackets the Suna ninjas wore. He bore no hitai-ate, and the gourd that was his ever-present companion could be just barely seen leaning against the back wall behind his seat. He was tall, from what Hikari could tell using references, and just as handsome as she had heard during her brief visits to his village. She had never seen him before now, and was suddenly glad for that. She didn't know what these shinobi's reactions would be when they discovered her origins, even though she didn't know what she had to be afraid of. Still, it was the principle of the matter. For six years she had stayed in the shadows, and she wasn't keen about coming out of them.

She studied him unabashedly as everyone else did the same, confidant in her safety from discovery. Even so, their eyes met, just for the briefest moment. That moment past, his pupil-less eyes, a shade of green reminiscent of the Konoha nins' flack jackets, but perhaps a shade lighter, swept their gaze on, taking in all the curious faces staring up at him. An amused smile quirked on Hikari's lips, even as the Kazekage's expression remained stoic, uninterested, and solemn. His eyes were still rimmed with black, perhaps a mark from his former possession of the Ichibi. It was a plausible enough explanation; Naruto had whiskers, why couldn't he have black eyelids? From what she could tell, however, the bags were disappearing gradually as he was now able to sleep. And, of course, there was the red tattoo, _ai_, on the left side of his forehead.

This entire observation took up only a few seconds. A moment later, McGonagall was introducing the two others.

"The teachers of this _taijutsu_ class are Kankuro and Temari, the Kazekage's older brother and sister. Treat them with respect; they have just as much authority as every other teacher here. They can take and give points, and assign detentions. Do not think that you can get away with breaking the rules around them. After all . . . They are ninja."

On either side of her, the twins choked on air. "Seriously?" Jeff blurted out. The entire time on the train, Kankuro and Temari had made it a point to not say anything about who they were, other than their names and that they were going to teach at the school. They hadn't even given a hint.

Shinobi had sharp hearing, and in the shocked silence following the announcement, the twin's statement hadn't been hard to hear at all. Smirking, Kankuro nodded. "_Hai_, Wa-ti-kin-san."

Hikari clapped a hand over her mouth to cover her laughter. She remembered very clearly calling the twins exactly that when she first met them. She had only spent a year at Hogwarts at that time, so she still had a little trouble grasping English pronunciations when she did.

The twins crossed their arms in unison and scowled. "Why is it," they traded off, "Japanese can't ever get the name right?"

The comment seemed to break a tension Hikari didn't know had existed in the room before that moment, as the students let loose with varying degrees of laughter. McGonagall smiled, motioning for everyone to calm down.

"It's late, and you've all had a long journey. Prefects will lead you to your dormitories. Sleep well, and for Merlin's sake, be sure Mr. Potter is allowed his peace. Goodnight."

Hikari chuckled at that last remark. "I wonder if anyone ever gets a so-called 'normal' year here," she said to the twins. Together, they smirked.

"In a school of magic? Are you kidding?"

* * *

Japanese--English translations:

Itadakimasu--Thanks for the food _(or something like that)_


	6. Chapter 6

Thank you so much for reviewing, **Little Kunai**, **Fk306 animelover**, **Silvergriffen10**, and **Wolf princess of the moon**! It means a whole lot to me.

**Fk306--** "fem!Harry"? O_o Wow . . . Glad to make you happy that it wasn't!

**Silvergriffen10--** That is a relief to hear! I can only hope that remains true. Thank you for taking the time to tell me!

If Gaara's out of character, I make the excuse that he is now twenty-one years old or so. He's had plenty of time to change his personality!

Plus, I think anyone would be baffled after meeting Luna. XD And one has to admit, we do have strange spelling rules sometimes!

* * *

**-Chapter Six-**

"They're trying to kill us."

Hikari blinked, looking back at Al as he stepped in unison with Jeff. They had just left Transfiguration, of which Professor Burke really was quite capable, while she met up with them after Herbology to head to the Library. "Why do you say that?"

Al groaned. "Because it's only the second day, and we're already getting swamped with homework. It's bloody ridiculous, that's what it is. We're drowning!"

The girl smirked. "Come on, where's your Ravenclaw intelligence?"

"Intelligence can't do a thing about sheer quantity. How on earth do you do it?"

Hikari grinned. "I have my ways." _Which I can't exactly use at the __moment, since the shinobi will sense my use of chakra if I create a _Kage Bunshin_. Maybe I should start weighing the pros and cons of revealing myself to be a ninja . . ._

She wasn't going to be able to last the year, she knew. She had to train, and had spent the last two days not doing so. In all, it was very . . . frustrating. In years past, she had been able to train in the Forest, but now any training she did would draw attention.

_Why did it have to get so difficult? It was just one more year . . . As Nara-san would say, so troublesome . . ._

"_Oi_, you're spacing out again!"

Hikari dodged Jeff's hand as he reached out to nudge her, and blushed in embarrassment. "_Gomen_. I've been thinking a lot, lately."

"Yeah?"

"About what?"

She checked the hallway and pursed her lips, unsatisfied with their privacy. "I'll tell you later," she promised, opening the door to the Library. "Go on and get what books you need. I'm going to look at the costume catalogues."

The twins' eyes lit up. "Ah . . . Research time, eh?"

Hikari glared at them. "Get going, you twits."

They snickered, and ran off to do as she said.

**........**

On the other side of the castle, the Kazekage was busy with work of his own, and was quite frustrated with it. Anyone would be, really, if it was in a language they were not used to, as this was. English, Gaara decided, was not a simple language. They had all sorts of ways to spell words. He remembered the "'I' before 'E'" rule quite well, but the word "weird" defied those laws of spelling. And then there were the wizard terms, which were even stranger sometimes. A woman had come up to him earlier, a couple years younger than him, and had dreamily asked him if he had regular problems with . . . Shnizzles? What, in all the ten Bijuu, were those?

Finally, he pushed the document away with a sigh, staring longingly at the window. His siblings were teaching the First-Years down by the lake right now, and he had come here to watch, but then this had come up and bit him in the rear. If only _someone_ around here other than those two knew his language.

_That's it!_ he realized with sudden clarity, sitting bolt upright. Kankuro had told him about a young woman they had sat with on the train who was Japanese, one with only one name. He had seen a Japanese woman in the Welcoming Feast the other night, and she had sat between the two twins Kankuro had addressed. Due to both her reaction and the twins' to Kankuro's maiming of their surname, he surmised this was the exact same woman as his brother had spoken of.

Now, if only he could remember what Kankuro had called her . . .

He caught McGonagall in the hallway just after he left the unused classroom, document rolled up and tucked away in a pocket of his Kage robes. The Headmistress had been taking a break from her own paperwork, wandering around the castle in thought.

"McGonagall-san," he called, getting as close as he could to the correct pronunciation. The Headmistress looked back, slightly surprised, and smiled at him. "Kazekage-sama," she greeted him. "What can I do for you?"

Gaara grimaced. "You can call me by my name for starters, Headmistress-san."

"Then call me Minerva, Gaara-sama."

At the honorific, he gave a mental sigh, while he remained expressionless. It was close enough, anyway. "Very well, Minerva-san."

She looked amused, but nodded to give him the go-ahead. This time, he sighed audibly. "My brother told me of a woman he met on the train, one who knows Japanese. He said she was willing to help with translation. She has only one name, but I cannot remember what he said it was. I do remember that she is friends with a pair of twins, however. 'Wa-ti-kin'?"

"Ah." From her expression, she seemed to understand. "That would be Hikari. The twins you speak of are Allen and Jeffery Watkins. You might be able to find them in the Library. Do you know what they look like?"

"_Hai_, Minerva-san. I noticed them at the end of the speech, the other day. _Arigato gozaimasu,_ Minerva-san."

She smiled and returned the short little bow. "You're most welcome, Gaara-sama. If you need anything, simply ask, and we'll do what we can."

Gaara offered a hint of a smile. "_Arigato_. Your hospitality shall not be forgotten." He bid her good day, then went off toward the Library. There, he found exactly who he was searching for.

She was with the twins again, flipping through a thin book while the twins' thick tomes lay abandoned, the young men peering down at the one the woman was looking through.

"Ooh!" one said suddenly. "Vintage dresses!"

"Custom orders," the other added. Gaara recognized those grins; Naruto always had it when planning something mischievous.

The Seventh-Year shooed her friends away. "Yeah, yeah. Go back to your studying, boys. I told you I'd handle this."

There was an evil light in the first one's eyes. "We just want to make sure you pick the prettiest."

"Though the dressmakers will be really confused at the sizes provided." The second twin looked up and spotted Gaara, surprise flittering across his youthful face. Then the grin began a slow return. "Hey, maybe you can help," he called.

Gaara raised a nonexistent eyebrow. "Oh?" he prompted, his voice a low murmur as he stepped up to the table.

The woman looked up at him, clearly startled. "Kazekage-sama!"

He met her gaze, for all the world seeming as bored as could be. "Good afternoon. May I ask your names?"

"Hikari," she introduced herself. "This is Jeffery and Allen Watkins."

"A pleasure," he replied, bowing slightly. She stood, five-six to his six-one, and copied the gesture, then resumed her seat at his bidding.

Al, the one who had asked for his assistance, grinned at him. "Which dress do you think is prettiest?"

At that, Hikari shot the younger student a glare. "Al-kun!"

"What, it's not like you're going to wear the thing."

Gaara took note of the faintly pink tinge to her cheeks and felt a twinge of amusement. "If she is not going to wear it, what is it for?"

"Something," the other twin, Jeff, answered evasively.

Hikari glared at the twins again, then turned back to him. "Is there something I can help you with, sir?"

Gaara nodded, then pulled the document from his robes. Pointing to the word in question, he allowed some of his frustration into his voice. "I cannot figure out what this word is, and my brother told me of your offer to help."

She looked bewildered at that, mouthing the word as she, too, tried to translate it. Al took a peek at it, resting his chin on Hikari's left shoulder. "Never heard of Nifflers before?"

A shrug of her shoulders dislodged his head. "How is it that you have, when you've been in this world a year shorter than I have?"

Jeff rolled his eyes. "Because the Weasley twins are our mentors, and their brother works for Gringotts. Goblins use Nifflers to sniff out treasure."

Gaara blinked, the only outward sign of his confusion. When he looked back at the document, he put it into context, then nodded in comprehension. "I see. _Arigato_. One more thing . . ."

"Yes?"

Now, he let his face screw up in utter bafflement. "What is a Shnizzle?"

The three choked on laughter, and he wondered what the big joke was. Quickly regaining control, Hikari fought against a smirk. "I see you met Luna Lovegood."

"The blonde woman with curly hair and vacant blue eyes?"

"That's her," the twins chorused.

"Quiet, you two," Hikari chided. "_Hai_, Kazekage-sama, that is her. She is a wonderful girl, really nice. She and her father simply have . . . odd ideas."

"Odd?" Al snorted. "Nargles, Shnizzles, and Blibbering Humdingers, oh my!"

Hikari swatted his head. "Anyway, she did come up to me earlier to ask if I knew why Shnizzles would target your eyebrows instead of your other hair. They're what she blames balding on."

Gaara frowned. "Seriously?"

"_Hai_. Don't worry, though." Hikari bowed her head slightly in his direction. "I don't believe Shnizzles exist. Your hair is safe, Kazekage-sama."

He shook his head, bemused. "Thank you for your time and your aid, Hikari-san, Al-san, and Jeff-san." He eyed the book in her hands, then looked back at her, deciding not to comment on it. Instead, he bowed. "Good day to you."

Hikari gave him a strange look, but returned the gesture politely. "And to you, Kazekage-sama."

His questions answered, Gaara left. He had some work to do, and a class to watch.

**........**

Hikari watched the Kazekage leave with not a little amount of confusion. She hadn't known what to expect from him, and she still didn't. He was so hard to read with that expressionless face of his. The only time he showed anything was when he let himself. Having finally met him, though, she could honestly say he wasn't too bad at all.

Her own reaction to him had baffled her even more. There was just something about him . . .

Snickering drew her attention back to the twins. "What?" she asked snappishly, annoyed.

If anything, that made their laughter even worse. "Is this seriously your first crush?" Al asked.

"My- my _what_?" Hikari gave the twin a look of utter horror. "You _are_ joking, right?"

Jeff snorted. "Then what was with that blush when we were talking about the dress?"

Hikari's face reddened. "_That_," she growled, "was from embarrassment because of two airheads acting like _bakas_ in front of an important foreign official!"

"Hey, now," Al protested, raising his hands in a defensive action. "I just asked which dress he thought was prettiest."

"And now you've got him suspicious about us," she retorted. "Count your blessings that he decided not to ask."

"He'll probably ask his siblings," Jeff decided. "But I don't think they'll tell him, either. Kankuro-sensei seems really eager to see what you have in mind. He wouldn't let his brother stop us, leader of the village or not."

"And Temari-sensei?"

Al scoffed. "You know as well as I do, Hikari, that she's just as eager as her brother to see what happens. You saw how peeved she was that she couldn't do anything to Banes."

"All we have to do is not tell anyone anything," Jeff finished. "Plausible deniability." He leveled a finger at her. "And don't think we're done with this whole business with you and the Kazekage, Hikari. Since you don't have any siblings, that responsibility passes on to us."

Hikari grinned. "Actually . . . I do have a brother."

"What?"

She laughed, then hushed them. "Keep it down. I don't want this getting out until he visits, if he's able. Come on." She stood, picking up the catalogue to check out. "Let's find somewhere private so I can tell you everything."

* * *

Japanese--English translations:

Kage Bunshin--Shadow Clone

Bijuu--Tailed beasts _(And yes, there are 10!)_

_(On another note, I have no idea what is in Gaara's report . . . Something telling him about aspects of the wizarding world, perhaps?)_

_(Shnizzles are my own invention.)_


	7. Chapter 7

Thank you for reviewing, **Little Kunai **and **Fk306 animelover**! Seeing the words "Review Alert" in my inbox makes me feel very happy. ^_^

* * *

**-Chapter Seven-**

"All right, you lot, shape up!"

The Hufflepuff and Gryffindor students settled down, conversations petering out at Kankuro's shouted words. To some, he looked positively terrifying with his purple face paint and gleeful look.

Hikari had seen scarier. So had a few of those standing with her, which was why none of them were shaking in fear of their psycho-sensei. Harry, for instance, had faced Dementors and gone head-to-head with Voldemort-_baka_ himself. Any incident where you saw your mortal enemy rise again was bound to be frightening.

Temari walked over from where she had been conversing with the Kazekage. Her gaze flicked over them, and she nodded. "Good. You're all wearing your exercise clothes. Okay, brats, listen up. There's no way to put this delicately, so I'll just say it. To us, you're the equivalent of children. The average ninja graduates at twelve, usually, and by then, they're already at least ten times stronger than you lot. They know a heck of a lot more than you, and they're in much better shape than you lazies. Before we even _start_ you on katas, we're going to work on getting you conditioned. These will be every day, just like it would be for our Academy students. Is anyone _not_ ready for this?"

No one raised their hand. They just watched the female teacher warily, some slightly indignant at being called brats and children. After a good, long look at all their faces, Temari grinned. "Good. I think I'm going to like you lot. Don't worry, wimps, we won't push you too hard."

Off to the side, Gaara heaved a sigh. "Temari . . ."

"What?" she pouted. "Come on, I've got to have practice for my future children, right?"

The way her brothers' expressions changed was rather amusing. Gaara looked awkward at the comment, and Kankuro scowled. "That Shikamaru had better-"

"Oh, hush," Temari scolded. "We've mutually agreed to wait until we're married. Quit acting like an overprotective little brother and start leading the students around the lake. Okay, you brats! Follow Kankuro-sensei, and for now, take a break when you need to. Gaara – er, the Kazekage and I will be following along behind, to take care of any injured or stragglers. Hop to it!"

Hikari bid farewell to Harry's group and jogged alongside two of her roommates, Jessica Stone and an American witch, Sabrina Carson. "How's it going with you two?" she asked, genuinely curious. While they weren't good friends like she was with the twins, they were on good terms, and were a little more than acquaintances. If anyone asked, she would answer that, yes, they were friends, even though she had only been roommates with Sabrina for a few days. Before that, they had eaten together sometimes before the Muggle-born had gone into hiding during the last year.

Jessica glanced over at her, returning Hikari's smile. "Pretty good. I'm really eager to get started in learning how to fight hand-to-hand. How long do you figure they'll keep up with the conditioning before we finally start?"

"My guess is two weeks," Sabrina offered, easily keeping up with the two. "My brother's a Muggle, and the conditioning for basketball is two weeks before they start actual practice."

Hikari thought that over. She could work with two weeks. For now, all she had to do was play it low-key and not draw attention to herself. She would send a letter to Taiki first chance she got, letting him know that if they were going to surprise everyone together, that was when it would have to happen.

Jessica gave a full-blown grin. "Race ya!"

Sabrina took off after the Brit, laughing. Startled, Hikari lost her rhythm for a moment.

"_Oi_!" she shouted, exasperated. "Pace yourselves, you twits!"

As they simply laughed, waving away her advice, Hikari shook her head ruefully. "_Bakas_."

**........**

As Gaara kept a gentle, easy pace alongside Temari, following the students, he frowned thoughtfully at the back of a particular brunette. There was something about her that he couldn't quite place.

Temari looked over at him and smirked, following his gaze. "Hikari-san has caught your eye, hmm?" she asked in Japanese.

Gaara answered with a quiet acknowledgement, brushing aside her teasing tone. When he didn't answer in a satisfying way, she reached out and nudged him. "Don't tell me you've got a crush."

"What?" Caught off guard, Gaara looked at his sister. Then he realized what she had said, and he couldn't stop the embarrassed tinge to his cheeks. "No. That's not it."

"Oh, really?" came the humored reply. "Well, I wouldn't blame you if you did. Kankuro did say that she's easy on the eyes."

Gaara gave a start. "That's it. Her eyes."

"What about them?"

Gaara frowned. No one from this culture should have eyes like that, unless they were much older. Just who was this woman?

Temari paused, no longer teasing him as she picked up on his seriousness. "Gaara," she said sternly, "what about her eyes?"

He hesitated, wondering if he should tell her. Then he remembered that sharp, calculating look the strange woman had, with eyes that saw far more than anyone thought they did. She was careful, and wary around him. So, he answered.

"They're like ours."

**........**

"Gaara, are you sure you're not overreacting? Not everyone has good lives, here. And you've got to take into account the battle last year."

Gaara shook his head at Kankuro, adamant. "No. This is something more. And when McGon- Minerva-san announced that we are ninja, she did not react like the others. There is something . . . odd about her."

Kankuro sighed, then looked over at Temari. When she nodded, he shrugged. "All right, Gaara, we'll keep an eye out. No promises, mind you, but if we do see something suspicious, we'll let you know. We won't stalk her for you, though."

The look Gaara gave his brother was nothing short of dry. "I'm not stalking her."

"Never said you were, little brother."

"Why _do_ you want us to do this, Gaara?"

Gaara frowned. "Because something's not right about her, and I can't figure out what. It's as if I should know, but I don't. Call it . . . a hunch."

Temari nodded. "All right. Come on, Kankuro. Seventh-Year Slytherins and Ravenclaws up next."

Kankuro sighed, rolling his eyes. "Whoopee."

**........**

Hikari knew they were watching her. It had started with Gaara on the run around the lake, and ever since, the three ninja had been watching her like . . . she didn't know what, really. It wasn't constant, but they were paying attention to her actions, at least. They were really very good; an ordinary witch or wizard wouldn't have noticed at all. But then, she wasn't normal in the least. She wasn't sure if that was so much of a good thing, though.

With a sigh, she shoved aside her dinner plate and sealed her letter to Taiki. The only way to escape their watchful eyes would be to leave, and she wanted to go to the Owlry anyway.

The raven-haired twins on either side of her looked up with brilliant blue eyes as she stood. "Heading off?" they asked together, in perfect unison. Hikari smiled at that, knowing the special bond between wizard twins had something to do with it. "Going to mail my letter," she answered. "Then I'm going to head to the library for more research, so you can meet me there if you want."

They nodded together, showing their understanding, and she made for the doors to the Great Hall. Just when she reached them, her path was blocked.

Hikari leveled a blank stare at Gregory Banes as he scowled down at her. They never had liked each other, and his treatment of Eliza only worsened relations. If there was one fault Hikari had, it was that she held grudges, and she did not forgive easily. Not that this snake had even asked for it . . .

She could feel the tension of the several who noticed and understood the possible outcomes of this encounter. The Kazekage didn't know what his siblings did, but he knew the situation wasn't good. Harry and his friends were well aware of the bad blood between the two, and she had mentioned the incident on the train to Ginny and Luna just the day before. Kankuro and Temari were also watching her closely, even more so than before. As for herself, she just watched the boy, an unannounced contest between the two. She, for all the world, looked as if she didn't care, much like Gaara usually did. A common trait between them, perhaps?

Except, this wasn't really her. Only the twins really saw the true parts of her, and now they knew why.

Banes was the first to avert his gaze, turning away. She smirked inwardly in triumph, but kept her expression blank as she kept a wary eye on him. Satisfied he was gone, she made her exit, leaving the ninja even more curious than before.

**........**

A few days later, Taiki opened the letter with a smile.

"_Dear Taiki,"_ it read.

"_You recall, I'm sure, how few here know about me. I've recently told my closest friends, and they responded favorably. I am hopeful for what everyone else will feel, including your leader and his siblings. On that note, I will be forced to reveal myself in two weeks. If you are coming to visit and wish to help me surprise everyone, that is your deadline. I may be able to delay a day, but no promises. As soon as you find out if you can come, send a reply. Rousoku will stay with you until then._

"_I love you, ototo. Your onee-chan,_

"_Hikari."_

Taiki looked over at the mentioned owl, who was busy drinking from a bowl of water. He was taking the Genin exams within the next week, so he would have to wait until then to find out his prospects of going. Until then, he could only work hard and wait.

* * *

Japanese--English translations

Oi--Hey


	8. Chapter 8

Thank you for reviewing, **Fk306 animelover** and **Sora Hoshi**!

**Sora Hoshi--** No, they'd still be able to detect a chakra signature. And I'm glad I could prompt a squeal! XD Thank you!

Shortest chapter yet, but important! I can't help but wonder if I'm moving this too quickly . . . Oh, well, there'll still be a little intrigue and plenty of plot (I hope) after the ninja find out about her!

* * *

**-Chapter Eight-**

"_Ne_, Makoto-sensei, have you heard anything about that magic stick-users school Kankuro-sama and Temari-sama teach at, and Kazekage-sama visits?"

Oushi Makoto blinked down at his student in mild surprise, chicken sandwich paused halfway to his open mouth. After a moment, he lowered it. "The wizard school, Hogwarts? _Hai_. It is very different, I hear. They had a war last year, but it is a more peaceful culture overall. Their powers are also much different than ours, and less combat-based. They do have their offensive and defensive spells, however. Why do you ask?"

Taiki shrugged, chewing quickly so he could answer. It had been a little more than a week since Hikari's letter, and he now was a member of a Genin team. Currently, they were taking a break for lunch in the middle of doing a D-rank mission. "I've just heard things about it and thought it would be cool to see it."

On the other side of Makoto, Kohaku and Mariko perked up, their interest snagged. "Ooh, could we?" the girl asked, her large brown eyes shining. Kohaku, Taiki's friend from the Academy, nodded his agreement to the proposal.

Makoto laughed. "I'll asked the Kazekage about it. You might even be able to help his siblings teach the students _taijutsu_ when they start on the drills."

Taiki grinned happily. He might be able to visit Hikari, after all! Not that anyone knew that. They thought it was simple curiosity. "Sweet! Come on, guys, let's finish eating so we can complete our mission and free up Makoto-sensei to go ask."

The Jounin-sensei smirked. "Don't rush yourselves, now. I won't be able to ask him until tonight."

As one, the three students deflated, pouting. "Awww!"

**........**

"Your students wish to visit Hogwarts?"

Makoto nodded, smiling in amusement as he remembered how they had shouted at him for going slowly. "They are quite eager to, as well. Mariko and Taiki were practically shoving me toward here, with Kohaku urging them on. I figured Kankuro-sama and Temari-sama could use our help in teaching the students their katas, as well."

The Kazekage steepled his fingers and leaned slightly on his elbows. "Tell me about your students."

"Well . . . Nori Kohaku's a rather brazen young man. Stands five-three, has sloppy black hair and amber eyes, like he's named for. Comes from a good family, and his older brother is a Jounin. Let's see . . . He's twelve, tested his chakra and has a primary of earth. No _kekkei-genkai_, nice intelligence, decent stamina, fairly strong, and pretty fast to boot. He was in the top ten-percent of his class for _taijutsu_, not very good at _genjutsu_, pretty good at _ninjutsu_, and his second-best area is with weapons. Very much a hands-on kind of boy. Kuma Mariko is five-one, almost twelve years old, and her parents work at the hospital as medic-nins. She's more of a fighter, though, and doesn't show as much aptitude in the medical area. She has a calm temperament, and a good head on her shoulders. She has blue eyes and chin-length dark brown hair, strong intelligence, decent stamina, decent strength, and is quite the speedy young woman. Average _genjutsu_, good _taijutsu_, best at _ninjutsu_, and is also good with weapons. She doesn't have a _kekkei-genkai_, either. Her most outstanding trait, I'd say, is that she doesn't rush into things. Now, Taiki . . . He's an orphan, and his parents are unknown. He says they died in action. As for him, well, he's five-two, has light brown hair almost like your brother's, and slate blue eyes. He picks up on things real fast, and could very well be considered a prodigy, but he can also be a joker. He entered the Academy at nine, and just graduated at newly-eleven in the top of his class. His parents did work with him before they died when he was five, but four years passed with no activity like that whatsoever. He lives on his own in a cheap apartment, and he said someone gives him the money when I asked, but he won't say who. Been like that for the last three years. No known _kekkei-genkai_, and if he has a clan name, he's not saying. He's the smartest of the three; has the potential to be even smarter than me. Stamina's good, strength is decent, and he's a fast little bugger. Excellent at _taijutsu_, weapons, and _ninjutsu_, and pretty good at _gentustu_, too, but not the best. Neither of the latter two have had their element tested. Overall, they work as a team quite well. I've seen them go through their katas, and I'm confident they could help your brother and sister."

The Kazekage nodded. "Very well. I'll put it down as a C-rank mission, aiding Kankuro and Temari in teaching the students of Hogwarts _taijutsu_. You'll accompany me to the school in one week. Inform your students so that they can prepare for a month-long trip."

Makoto bowed. "_Hai_. _Arigato_, Kazekage-sama. Oyasumi."

**........**

The letter Hikari received when Taiki sent Rousoku back was short, but it told her exactly what she wanted to know. _"My sensei tells me we are to pack for a month-long trip, and that we leave in about a week. You will need to stall for as long as you can. With love, your brother, Taiki."_

The twins, when she told them of her plan to do just that, only looked at her in amazement.

Jeff shook his head. "That-" he began, and Al finished the thought. "-is hardcore."

Hikari just smiled nervously.

* * *

Japanese--English translations:

Oyasumi--Good night

From Behindthename-dot-com:

Makoto--sincerity (m&f)

Oushi--bull

Kohaku--amber (m&f)

Nori--rule, ceremony (m)

Mariko--true village child (f)

Kuma--bear

From the manga/anime:

Kekkei-genkai--bloodline limit


	9. Chapter 9

Thank you for reviewing, **Little Kunai**, **Fk306 animelover**, and **Sora Hoshi**!

* * *

**-Chapter Nine-**

Thanks to the Weasley twins, there were all sorts of ways to avoid class, now. Puking Pastils, Fever Fudge, Nosebleed Nougats . . . These, however, were easily countered, and would bring up suspicion. The question would be asked about why she wanted to skip out on the first day of katas, when everyone else was so eager to start. No, she needed something that seemed accidental, and something that would definitely prevent her from doing anything physical while permitting her to still go to other classes . . . with help, of course. Sabrina and Jessica would help her, she knew, even though it stung to have to lie to them, as well. That sting was lessened, unfortunately, and conversely strengthened by the fact that she had been lying to everyone for six whole years. Her greatest concern was how Gaara would view her, as he was the Kazekage of the Hidden Village she hoped to join. She had to be trustworthy, and by the end of the year, that's what she hoped to be.

So in light of all this, that was why she was running late to class – literally. It sure looked like a frantic run, but it was nowhere near the speed of which she was capable. Down the hill she went in her exercise clothes, eyes sharp to look for the little hole in the ground she had noticed in the days before. She could make do without it, but if she stepped just right . . .

And just according to plan, her foot found its place in the small pit. She went down rolling, crying out as her ankle was twisted sharply. Yes, it was what she wanted, but it still freakin' hurt!

She lay still on the ground for a moment as she prepared herself for movement, knowing it would be rather painful when she did sit up. She had ninja training that allowed her to cope with the pain, but for now, she was ignoring that training and letting her response show in order to engender sympathy and to meet the _taijutsu_ instructors' low expectations of the students' pain tolerances.

Hikari hissed as she moved, her leg shifting as she sat up. Her left ankle was already swollen, she could immediately see, and the fact that it was sprained was obvious to her.

A hand touched the injured joint, and she hissed again, having not expected that at all. Fingers probed gently, careful not to inflict more pain, but largely unsuccessful in that endeavor. At another twinge, she had to force herself not to jerk her leg away. "_Itai_!" she complained, scowling. "I think we've established that it's sprained, Kazekage-sama."

Gaara glanced up and met her eyes, calm and unperturbed at her outburst. "What were you doing to bring this about?"

Hikari winced at another twinge of pain. "I was late, so I was running. I didn't notice the hole until I stepped in it. By then, it was too late for me. _Oi_, _oi_! _Itai_! What-"

She cut herself off as the arm hooked under her knees was joined by an arm beneath her shoulders. Gaara lifted her up, and turned to his watching siblings, who had also come running at her pained yelp. "Continue with the class. I will take Hikari-san to the Hospital Wing."

Hikari truly was in a slight state of shock at his actions. She was held close, then the sand swirled around them, and she felt the change from outdoors to inside a stone-lined room.

Madam Pomfrey rushed over as the Kazekage laid a pink-faced Hikari on one of the beds. "_A-arigato_," she murmured, very much embarrassed. Gaara nodded once and sat on the bed next to hers, allowing Madam Pomfrey to do her job.

The school's medi-witch turned the predictable fussy as soon as she saw the problem. "What on earth did you do, Hikari? Two years ago, you were in here unconscious with a broken arm. Last year, you were all banged up after the battle. Don't tell me you're going to be making a pattern of this."

Hikari scowled, ignoring Gaara's sudden interest. "I'll thank you not to bring those up again, Pomfrey-sama. And I sprained my ankle running to class. One cannot simply point a wand at the ground and say, 'Hocus pocus, let there be no more holes.'"

Madam Pomfrey harumphed. "At least you still have that sense of humor. Now, let me take a look."

"_Itai_! It is sprained! Poking it is not going to make it get better!"

Madam Pomfrey rolled her eyes and went to fetch a potion. Hikari avoided Gaara's amused gaze while she did, knowing this was new to the Kazekage. In the past two weeks, she knew he had seen her joking around with the twins, and in moods ranging from calm and quiet to moody and introspective to laughing and animated. This was the first time, however, she had shown such annoyance, pained or not. And, apparently, the former Jinchuuriki found her behavior entertaining.

The nurse returned, two bottles in hand. "Drink these," she instructed. "One is for the pain, the other for the inflammation. I'll bring the swelling down and fix the ankle with a spell, but you shouldn't put weight on it for at least twelve hours. That means, Hikari, you will stay here for now, and we'll have someone levitate you to your bed later. I want to keep you here for now, so that I can verify that you're taking it easy."

Hikari groaned, shoulders slumping. She had been hoping to get to her other classes. _The things I do,_ she mused. _And all this just to let Taiki surprise everyone with me. Ah, well, what kind of sister would I be if I didn't let him join in the fun? He'll be here in two days. I can say my ankle is still a little tender to get me out of katas. If that doesn't work, I suppose I can just try and do them poorly . . ._

A hand settled on her shoulder, and she jumped, startled. When she turned, she saw Gaara looking down at her. "Get some rest," he instructed. "I will ask Temari to take you to your room later."

"That's all right," Hikari assured him, forcing back the slight blush that threatened to rise. Hey, who wouldn't blush? "I'm sure my roommates will visit, and they can practice their levitation spells."

"Mhmm." He didn't seem too dissuaded. "I'll check up on you later. We'll figure it out then."

Hikari frowned at him. "Why such concern?"

He paused at that, and she could see the brief flicker of confusion. "I'm not sure . . ." Turning away, he glanced back at her. "Get some rest, Hikari-san."

She lay back, and wondered if that would even be possible.

**........**

"_No! Stop it! Moriko-sensei!"_

_Her anguished cries were ignored, her mother-figure's screams of pain echoing loudly in her ears. The blurred faces of her tormenters were painted with sadistic grins, and black orbs in place of eyes. Then the screams faded away into nothing, eerie silence taking over as the murderers leered down at the girl. Only . . . she wasn't just a girl. She was a sixteen-year-old, clad in a hospital gown with a splint on her arm, and Dumbledore lay dead at her feet. Horrified, she turned, thirteen years old, to see a cliff before her. A girl's broken body lay at the bottom, soulless eyes staring vacantly at the sky. Screams erupted around her, and she was moving, seventeen years old now, kunai in hand and bathed in blood. Death Eaters and dark creatures fell one after another to her ruthless hands, silent _reducto_ curses blasting at heads and torsos and shuriken and kunai burying themselves in their vital organs. Just as she sliced the throat of one, it withered away into dust, joined by the bodies of all the others, including the live ones. She stood alone in a vast plain covered inch-deep in blood, bare feet chilled and sickeningly warmed by it all. She looked down at her seventeen, going on eighteen-year-old body, and saw that she was wearing simple shorts and a shirt, drab and brown, the shorts ten shades darker than her top. When she looked up again, she saw . . . herself, just standing there. Her clone's eyes were dead to the world, unaware. Then, to her horror, the clone's body began to shift, changing into a grotesque figure that could only be categorized as . . . a monter. Black eyes were alight with hunger for blood, a gaping, salivating maw lined with sharp, pointed teeth. It was covered in blood, and it raised a kunai toward her. However, it did not attack. Instead, it spoke._

"_We are."_

_She looked down at her hands, and instead of seeing slender fingers, she saw blood-drenched appendages, gnarly fingers ending in long, hooked nails better classified as claws or talons. The kunai clenched in them dropped with a splash, and she jerked back, letting out a blood-curdling scream._

"Woah, easy now!"

Hikari's first instinct was to attack the woman speaking as she came to sudden wakefulness, but that soon changed to clinging to her like a lifeline, trembling in mixed terror, grief, and relief. A gentle hand pat her on the back, as arms reached around to hold her. "Shh . . . You're safe. It's all right."

Hikari buried her face in her comforter's shirt, her mind not yet registering the voice. It sounded familiar, was all she knew, along with the fact that it was friendly, and that was enough for her at the moment. It had been a while since she had last had that nightmare, and it always changed a little bit. The new part this time was the Death Eater battle, and she had to forcibly remind herself of Ichiraku's words to her that summer.

_'You have nothing to be ashamed of, no reason to regret. You're not a monster, Hikari. You don't slaughter people for no reason.'_

A male voice interrupted her thoughts. "Hey . . . Is she okay?"

"Kankuro, hush!"

Hikari tensed, suddenly realizing who was holding her. And if she was here, and Kankuro, then . . .

"Easy, you two," came the expected voice. "Are you all right, Hikari-san?"

Hikari blushed hard, torn between the desire to answer him and reassure the Kazekage, and the desire to curl up in a ball in her humiliation. Each of the shinobi had now seen her in one of her worst states. Finally, she nodded, but kept her face hidden.

The arms around her squeezed once, gently. "You can relax, Hikari-san. Gaara, Kankuro, can you give us a minute?"

Hikari pushed away, sitting up and massaging her temples. "_Iie_ . . . It is okay. It is too late, anyhow."

"Well, if you're sure . . ." Temari trailed off in concern.

Hikari gave her a dry look. "I can't un-humiliate myself."

Kankuro's face popped into view. "You okay, Hikari-san? We were wondering if we should wake you when we came in and saw you tossing and turning, and then that scream . . . I haven't heard many civilians give one like that."

"Kankuro! Some tact!"

Hikari heaved a sigh. "It is fine. I am fine. It was just a nightmare. I did fight in a war last year."

"Right . . ." Each of them had their doubts, she could tell, looking from Temari, to Kankuro, to Gaara. Sheepish, she tucked a brown lock behind her left ear. "_Ano_ . . . Where is Pomfrey-sama?"

"In her office," Temari answered. "She came running out when you woke up screaming, but went back inside when Gaara waved her away."

"Oh." She moved to stand up, but two sets of hands clamped down on each of her shoulders and pushed her back.

"Ah!" came the chastising cry. "Don't even think it."

Gaara stepped forward as his sister continued to glare at the injured girl, amusement flickering across his face. "Pomfrey-san warned us you would do this. How is your ankle?"

Hikari shrugged, glad he had not asked the same question his siblings had. "It is fine for now. Still a little tender, I suppose. We'll see how it is tomorrow. I may not want to do anything too strenuous with it yet."

Kankuro pouted in disappointment. "Then you won't be able to do katas tomorrow?"

"Probably not," she answered apologetically. "Sorry."

"_Maa_, it's not like you can help it. Want me to take you back to your room?"

"No," three voices chorused. Hikari stifled a giggle, amused at how pitiful he looked when he pulled a sad face. Good looks definitely ran in his family.

_Did I really just think that?_ she wondered incredulously. She glanced at his siblings, and was surprised to see the extent of the Kazekage's annoyance that showed on his face. He was usually very reserved, showing no emotion, except for what he let through.

_What brought that on?_ She didn't stop to think about that for too long, though, as Gaara stepped forward, impassive once more. "Temari, would you take Hikari-san back to her room? Or to the Hufflepuff common room, at least. One of her roommates may be able to help you after that."

"You sure I can't just walk?" Hikari asked hopefully. She hated having to rely on anyone.

Gaara nodded. "Doctor's orders. Do you wish to injure your ankle even further?"

". . . No . . ."

"Then Temari will carry you." The Kazekage looked at the clock, then nodded at his siblings. "I should go. I have paperwork to finish, and I'll be bringing the team here tomorrow at breakfast."

"Team?" questioned Hikari.

"Oh, that's right," Kankuro answered. "You weren't at class. Well, a team of newly graduated ninja are coming with their Jounin-sensei to see what this place is like and to help teach you guys the katas. They're some of the best of their class at _taijutsu_, so they'll be a big help. Especially with the younger kids, who will be able to connect better with them."

"Hmm. I look forward to meeting them. _Oyasumi_, Kazekage-sama, Kankuro-sensei."

Gaara nodded again. "_Oyasumi_. Temari, if you would . . ."

Hikari climbed reluctantly onto Temari's back, not the happiest about having to be carried. Temari was fast, though, she had to admit, and soon they had arrived at the still life in the basement that guarded the Hufflepuff common room. "Pegasus," the injured girl supplied, and the painting swung open to reveal a room decorated with yellow hangings and fat armchairs. Two tunnels branched off from the common room, leading to the dorms, and Temari started down the right-hand one, ignoring the students seated around the fire. When she came to Hikari's room, though, they had a dilemma.

This was solved by Sylvia Wilson, Hikari's third roommate. The Irish witch had followed them from the common room, worried for her friend, and quickly moved to open the circular door when she saw Temari's problem.

Temari nodded at her. "_Arigato_. Hikari-san, which is your bed?"

"That one," Hikari answered, and pointed to the bed closest to the door. Temari dropped her off, then pressed a vial into her hands.

"Courtesy of Madam Pomfrey," she explained. "It's a dreamless sleep potion. That should keep away the nightmares tonight."

Hikari smiled gratefully. "Thank her for me, please. And _arigato_ for bringing me here."

Temari clapped her on the shoulder. "No problem. Rest up, now. I'll see you in the morning."

The student nodded, and watched as the _taijutsu_ instructor left. As much as she disliked relying on people, having help was nice sometimes. Training or not, walking on an injured ankle was no fun at all.

Sylvia tossed her a set of pajamas. "Need any help?"

Hikari shook her head. This, at least, she could do on her own. "_Iie_. Goodnight, Sylvia."

The redhead of the group of four girls offered back a smile. "All right. Goodnight, Hikari."

She left, and Hikari was alone.

It was only after she had changed and taken the potion, drifting off to sleep, that she thought to wonder why the Kazekage's return with the Genin team tomorrow bothered her so much . . .

* * *

Japanese--English translations:

Oi--Hey

Itai--Ow


	10. Chapter 10

Thank you for reviewing, **jade**, **Fk306 animelover**, **Little Kunai**, **Sora Hoshi**, **-sama**, **Love Doesn't Love Me**, **Emily**, and **XxBreakingxxPointxX**!

**jade-** Thanks for the info!

Sorry if the chapter seems short, and for taking so long. I'm finally getting to her big reveal! XD

* * *

**-Chapter Ten-**

Morning came, Tuesday dawning upon Hogwarts with a calm serenity, most probably the calm before the storm. Something was going to happen today, something big. And so Hikari went to breakfast with that firmly entrenched in mind, and left quickly to gather her things together for her classes. Her ankle was just fine now, but she was still careful to favor it, just in case. So it was, she didn't see the twins, and likewise didn't talk to them. If she had, maybe then she would have remembered why the Kazekage's return today wasn't exactly a good thing, and perhaps a whole heap of embarrassment could have been averted . . .

**...**

Taiki bounced in place, hardly pausing long enough to accept the little pin he was given. He attached it to his shirt without question, then went back to bouncing. He was so excited!

A firm hand descended heavily on his shoulder, finally stilling him. Makoto smiled fondly down at him, a glint of humor in his eyes. "Calm yourself, Taiki. We will be going soon enough."

Taiki nodded obediently, then took a deep breath and forced himself to relax. His sensei was right, but he could hardly help it. He was going to see Hikari soon! Not that anyone knew that, but still . . .

The Kazekage entered the room, dressed in his robes of office. Green eyes flickered over them, and then he nodded, satisfied. "Good, you're here. I will explain now the purpose of the pins you were given. They have a long-lasting translation charm cast on them, enabling you, the wearers, to understand the English language. For instance, you may not be able to tell, but that is what I am speaking at this moment. If you were to take the pins off, you would hear only a garbled mass of sounds. With these, you can understand, and be understood. You will be able to cast jutsu while wearing them, as long as you focus on speaking Japanese and make the correct hand signs. Now, are there any questions before we leave?"

Mariko raised her hand. When called upon, she asked, "What are the students like?"

The Kazekage shrugged. "Many are older than you but have no experience in combat. Only those who fought in the battle last year know something of fighting, but the adults are more experienced. Do not expect quick progress from those you teach. Personality-wise, however, many are friendly. There are four main groups among the students. The Gryffindors, valuing courage, daring, nerve, and chivalry the most; the Hufflepuffs, hard work, fair play, tolerance, and loyalty; the Ravenclaws, intelligence, wit, wisdom, and creativity; and finally, the Slytherins, with ambition, cunning, and resourcefulness highly prized. Slytherin seems to hold the most troublemakers, but the other Houses have their fair share. Hufflepuff is the most rounded of the Houses, so one does not always know what to expect from them. Anything else?"

Kohaku was the one given permission this time, and his expression was hopeful. "Will we be allowed to explore?"

Their village leader nodded. "Stick together at first. I'm sure you know what culture shock is, and you may unwittingly insult someone. Try not to take offense to anything, as the students do not yet know much at all about us either. Yes . . . Taiki, was it?"

The boy nodded. "Is there a way to distinguish between the Houses?"

"Thank you for reminding me. The Slytherins are green and silver, and their mascot is a snake. Yes, that generally has bad connotations in their world as well. Gryffindor, a lion, with red and gold. Hufflepuff is black and yellow with a badger – you can find out there what that is – and Ravenclaw is blue and bronze with an eagle. All of you, never underestimate the danger of what looks to only be a stick when it's pointed in your direction. I trust you to be able to avoid any wayward spells, but I will also warn you that Hogwarts has its fair share of pranksters. Are there any more questions? None? Very well, then." The Kazekage pulled out a roll of parchment and held it before himself. "This is called a portkey, and it will take us to the castle. We will appear just outside of the main doors, which open up to the main hall – which is not to be confused with the Great Hall, the school's general assembly room and meal hall. Once I speak the password, we will gone. Make sure you are in contact with the scroll at all times until I give to word to release it. Is this understood?"

And chorus of "yes's" answered him, followed by the genin and their teacher reaching out. Once he was satisfied, the Kazekage spoke.

"Kraken, Hogwarts."

**...**

"What the heck is a Kraken?"

That was asked by a very befuddled Kohaku as he steadied himself against an amused Taiki. The latter pushed his friend away, and the raven-haired boy just managed to stay upright in his dizziness. Ninja though he was, a portkey seemed to be able to throw anyone for a loop on their first time, although some fared better than others. Case in point, Makoto was steady as a rock, and Mariko looked only slightly woozy as she found her footing. Taiki had braced himself for the ride, so he was the better off of the three genin.

The Kazekage offered a small, miniscule smile, the most he ever seemed to give around those outside of his family. "It is a creature from Greek mythology, servant of Hades, their god of the underworld. Kankuro thought it would be an amusing password, for some unknown reason."

Taiki grinned. "Well, at least few would be able to guess it. Who would ever expect a Suna ninja in Great Britain to use a Greek myth for a password?"

"That is a good point. Come, it is still breakfast time here. Stick together," was the final instruction before they went in.

**...**

The great doors opened ponderously. Massive and a union of wood and iron, they were no doubt also protected by a multitude of spells, and would stand up to many of the worst of attacks. What a ninja would be able to do to them, though, was a question that would remain unanswered. Yet for people who could split rocks with their fist and obliterate forests with one release of power, even the strongest defenses would seem so utterly frail . . .

No shinobi, however, had any intention of testing the doors' strength. There was no need to, and any such creations would at least be an alert should a rampaging enemy ninja break them down, though a much easier time would be had sneaking through the many windows and secret passages. There was no worry about Death Eaters and other dark wizards in the doors' regard, for they were created to protect against them. "_Hakuna matata_," Muggle-borns who had seen _The Lion King_ might say.

The doors, though, were not what Gaara was thinking about as he led his ninja through them. Instead, his thoughts were focused on the three genin, and more specifically their behavior. The youngest, Taiki, almost seemed as if he was expecting something, his neck craning as he turned his head this way and that.

Gaara dismissed it as simple wonderment. He himself had been barely able to contain his own upon first arriving. The castle was like nothing he had ever seen before, so much grander, larger, and sturdier than the Hidden Countries had ever been able to boast. Besides, Kohaku and Mariko were behaving in much the same way as their teammate. It was all so new, and there was so much to see.

His mindset such, therefore, he was completely unprepared for what was to happen in the next few minutes . . .

Kankuro and Temari joined the group not far into the entrance hall, where students were beginning to gather as the word was passed along. Gaara gave the thickening crowd only a passing glance before turning to his siblings, and offered them as much of a smile as he ever did in the presence of others. "Good morning," he greeted them. "This is the team that will be aiding you for the next month. Team Four, these are my siblings, Temari and Kankuro. Temari, Kankuro, this is Oushi Makoto, Nori Kohaku, Kuma Mariko, and Taiki. Team Four."

Kankuro beamed at the gathered newcomers. "_Maa_, welcome to Hogwarts! It'll be great having the help, since the groups are a little big. We've got the Houses grouped together by two, but with seven Years and extra people in each Year, the groups are bigger than Academy classes. There's seven groups per day with an hour each and a break on Sunday, but that will be more than enough for all of us. Gaara, remind me to _thank_ you for roping me into this . . ."

Gaara shrugged. "You complained that you were too bored. This is an important diplomatic endeavor. Who better than you two?"

Kankuro made a face. "Right. I'm still finding a way to get you back for this. So! Any questions that my esteemed brother has not answered?"

"Just one, Kankuro-sama," Kohaku piped up after given permission. Gaara suspected his presence encouraged heightened manners. Otherwise, the boy might not have even raised his hand or waited to be called on. "Are those 'portkeys' always so nauseating?"

Temari smiled and shook her head. "We're told you get used to it after a while. Gaara?"

He nodded. "It's true. Only the first few times are at all disorienting, and by then one can figure out how to land properly."

Kohaku grinned. "Good to know. Thank you, Kazekage-sama. Hey, Taiki-" He broke off, confused, and whipped his head around. "Where'd Taiki-kun go?"

They all blinked and joined him in the passive searching. The youngest of the genin had disappeared, none of them having noticed at all until that moment. Gaara stretched out his senses, searching for the young boy's chakra signature, but stopped when Mariko announced her discovery.

"There he is!" she exclaimed, relieved. Everyone looked to where she was pointing, and saw the genin was in the middle of the crowd of students, constantly looking for something now. They wondered at this strange behavior, Makoto getting ready to call him back to the group, when-

Taiki let out a glad cry as he finally spotted what he was looking for. "Onee-chan! Onee-chan!"

The shinobi blinked, watching in confused shock as the boy tackled someone in a flying hug, the other Hogwarts students scattering away in surprise. The girl he glomped stood her ground in this, and familiar laughter rang through the air.

"You made it!" her voice cheered. "Oh, look how you've grown!"

And then she looked up at the other shinobi, expression sheepish, and Gaara found himself looking . . .

. . . straight into the eyes of Hikari.

* * *

Japanese-English translations:

(See previous chapters)


End file.
